A fungus that has devastated bat populations in the eastern United States and across North America has been found in California. The deadly fungus has now been detected in multiple counties throughout California, raising alarms among wildlife officials and conservationists.
What is the bat fungus?
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife first detected the fungus in Humboldt County in 2023. It was then found in Amador, Placer, Sutter, and Inyo counties, and evidence suggests that it may also be present in Alpine, Plumas, Trinity, Siskiyou, Shasta, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties.
What is white-nose syndrome?
The fungus grows on the faces and wings of hibernating bats, irritating their skin and causing them to awaken and subsequently use up fat reserves and die of starvation during the winter. Pseudogymnoascus destructans — or white-nose syndrome — has killed millions of bats nationwide. It’s named for the visible signs that appear during the later stages of the disease, appearing as a white substance collecting on the bats’ muzzles, wings, and bodies. While white-nose syndrome is not dangerous to people, humans can spread it from one cave to another on clothing and other carried items.
White-nose syndrome has reportedly spread through North America since 2006. The syndrome was estimated to kill millions of bats in eastern states, causing especially high mortality rates in hibernation colonies. It can kill all of the bats in a colony from one infection spread during hibernation, read a report from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Officials now have estimated that the disease is present in 40 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces.
Earlier this year, the bat fungus was found in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, where hundreds of thousands of bats roost every year amid the iconic caves and underground landforms.
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