Montana prepared to address bat disease

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, partner agencies and other organizations are prepared for white-nose syndrome, should it turn up in Montana’s bat population.

Washington state released news last week that white-nose syndrome was detected in a bat discovered near North Bend, Washington. This marks the western-most discovery of the disease, which has killed more than 6 million bats in eastern states since 2006.

The disease was confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center.

White-nose syndrome is not known to pose a threat to people, pets, livestock or other wildlife.

White-nose syndrome is a fungus that can be spread by bats, animals or people carrying spores on their bodies. People also can carry spores on their clothing and gear. In particular, recreational cavers traveling from one cave to another can transport the fungus on their boots, ropes or clothing.

An important partnership has developed between Montana agencies and the caving community to decrease the odds of people spreading the disease here.

The Northern Rocky Mountain Grotto has been working to educate its members and other cavers on the risks of spreading this disease and the importance of “clean caving.” Clean caving simply means adequately disinfecting gear between cave visits.

“Cavers are very committed to doing all we can to prevent any human spread of this devastating disease. We care deeply about cave resources including the bats,” said Ian Chechet, president of the Northern Rocky Mountain Grotto.

The partnership between agencies and the caving community has also resulted in a significant increase in knowledge about Montana bats and their habitat.

“Cavers get into places many of us wouldn’t dream of going. Their willingness to share information on what they see while in those places has resulted in some incredible new knowledge about our bats and the habitats they use,” said Lauri Hanauska-Brown, chief of the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Nongame Wildlife Management Bureau.

This knowledge allows wildlife and land managers to make informed decisions on bat conservation in the future and in particular in the face of the recent finding in Washington state.

“We are very concerned about our bat populations in Montana, but our planning and preparation to date has put us in the best place possible to address the disease if it does make it here,” Hanauska-Brown said.

While there is no treatment for white-nose syndrome, scientists are working on ways to reduce the lethality of the disease when it does strike.

Agencies including Fish, Wildlife and Parks; the Montana Natural Heritage Program; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management will continue to track the spread of this disease and work with partners to ensure everyone does what they can to prevent the human spread of this disease, avoid sensitive concentrations of bats (hibernating or maternity colonies), and collect new information on Montana bats.

Montana has 15 bat species including the little brown bat (the species found infected with white-nose syndrome in Washington).

Two other species of Montana bats are known to be susceptible to white-nose syndrome.

Bats play an important role in reducing agricultural and forest insect pests in the United States, a service valued at more than $3 billion annually. Some bats can even eat their own body weight in insects, including mosquitoes, each night.

More information on bats, white-nose syndrome and decontamination protocols can be found at www.whitenosesyndrome.org.

For more information on Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks bat research, go to http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/diseasesAndResearch/research/bat/default.html.