European Observations of Fungi on Bats

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European Observations of Fungi on Bats
Paul Cryan1 and David Blehert2 1USGS Fort
Collins Science Center 2USGS National Wildlife
Health Center
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Meeting on WNS at the1st International Symposium
on Bat Migration, Berlin, Germany - January 2009
Photo courtesy of Christian Voigt, Leibniz
Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research
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Reports at Berlin Meeting

• Bats with fungal growth
• Observations mostly from past few years, but
  literature records from at least 1983 in Germany
• No associated mass mortality observed
• Usually species of Myotis
• Roosts tend to be very humid
• White growth most apparent in late winter
• White fuzz disappears from bats taken out of
  hibernacula and bats quickly groom it off after
  arousing from hibernation

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Winter 2009 European Countries where Bats with
White Noses have Been Reported (Netherlands,
Germany, Switzerland, Romania, Hungary, Czech
Republic, France)
Map Paul Cryan
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WNS A European Connection?
Hungary
Switzerland
Photo Tamas Gorfol
Netherlands
Romania Photo Szilard Bucs
Photo Anne Jifke-Haarsma
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Similarity of European and North American Fungi
Sampled from Bats

• Microscopic images show that some fungi sampled
  from bats in Europe have same unique morphology
  as Geomyces destructans
• Preliminary and limited genetic analyses suggest
  that certain European fungal isolates from bats
  may also be G. destructans

Photo courtesy of USGS National Wildlife Health
Center
Photo courtesy of Ludwig E. Hoelzle, University
of Zurich Fabio Bontadina, Institute of Ecology
and Evolution, Conservation Biology, Bern,
Switzerland
curved conidia Gargas et al. 2009
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If Geomyces destructans Occurs in Europe, Why No
Mortality?

• Hibernating groups of bats in Europe tend to be
  much smaller than eastern North America
• Density dependence of disease transmission or
  behavioral links to mortality (e.g., disturbance
  of roost mates during excessive grooming)?
• Past exposure of populations (resistance)?
• Something in cave ecosystems may limit its
  virulence in Europe (hypovirulence)

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Why the European Connection is Important

• Understanding the epidemiology of WNS in North
  Americais Geomyces destructans an
  invasive/exotic species?
• If the Geomyces destructans is endemic to Europe,
  evidence for past exposure of surviving bats on
  that continent may be telling of what is to come
  for bats in North America.
• If Geomyces destructans does not already occur in
  caves and mines of Europe where bats hibernate,
  we want to make sure that it stays that way.

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Investigating Fungi Associated with Bats in Europe

• Germany
• Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research
  Gudrun Wibbelt
• Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und
  Allergologie Hans-Peter Seid
• Switzerland
• Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Conservation
  Biology, Bern, Switzerland Fabio Bontadina
• Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, University
  of Zurich Ludwig E. Hoelzle
• Netherlands
• CBS Fungal Biodiversity Centre Professor de Hoog
• Dutch Wildlife Health Centre
• Universiteit Leiden Anne-Jifke Haarsma
• Dutch Mammal Society Erik Korsten
• United Kingdom
• Zoological Society of London/Institute of
  Zoology Kate Jones, Andrew Cunningham, Trent
  Garner
• Bat Conservation Trust Amy Coyte, Kate Barlow,
  Sarah Ford
• UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural
  Affairs Matt Hartley
• Natural England Tony Mitchell-Jones
• EUROBATS Tony Hutson
• Italy
• Gruppo Italiano Ricerca Chirotteri Marco
  Riccucci