White-nose Syndrome (WNS) is a newly emerging fungal disease that is devastating bat populations across eastern North America. The fungus, Geomyces destructans, is a cold loving fungus which thrives in cool, humid environments, including caves where bats hibernate. It causes a fuzzy white growth on the nose, face and wings of bats which disturbs them excessively as they hibernate. They deplete their fat reserves during the winter when no food is available, and they starve to death.

The disease first appeared in New York state in 2006, has since spread to 17 US states and 4 Canadian provinces, and it has killed over 5 million bats. In New Brunswick, it was first detected by NB Museum researchers in 2011 at one site in Albert county, and so far this year has been found at 7 sites in Albert, Westmorland and Kings counties.

WNS typically causes the death of approximately 90% of the bat population at each infected site. It is predicted that New Brunswick and North America's most common species, the Little Brown Bat, will disappear from north eastern North America within the next 20 years. Based on this level of devastation, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has declared the Little Brown Bat, the Northern Long-eared Bat and the Tri-colored Bat as Endangered during a recent emergency assessment.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking the public to avoid entering caves to prevent spreading the disease from one site to another, and to minimize disturbance to bats. DNR, along with the NB Museum, is also asking people to report sightings of bats flying during the day in winter. This is very strange behaviour for bats and could indicate there is an infected site nearby. We are also interested in reports of summer maternity roosts, which are groups of bats typically found in attics, barns or outbuildings between the months of May to August. People can contact Dr. Donald F. McAlpine, NB Museum in Saint John at 1-506-643-2345 or 1-888-268-9595 ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Mary Sabine, DNR Fish & Wildlife in Fredericton at 1-506-453-3826 ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

For more information on WNS, please visit the following web sites:

http://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/nr-rn/pdf/en/Wildlife/Bats-WhiteNoseSyndrome.pdf
http://www.nbm-mnb.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=576&Itemid=1304