Carolina Villalobos

206 Hiester Hall

State College, PA 16802

Mr. Alan Jalowitz, Ed.

201B Pattee Library
University Park, PA 16802

Introduction

Is the bat population all of sudden dying? Is it the end of the lives of the only vital flying
mammal in the world? Recently, over the last four years, millions of bats have been facing death
due to a mysterious disease that has hunted and killed bats by the thousands not only in the upper
northeastern part of the U.S such as New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts but
Pennsylvania alone. Scientists and researchers four years ago diagnosed the disease as White
Nose Syndrome (WNS), but further research to find a cure for this disease remains unknown. It
is certain that in the past four years (2006-2010) WNS has almost wiped out large bat
populations in the northeast and it has become a concern as the disease is becoming unstoppable
spreading out West as well.
In the past two years, research has been gathered by biologists and researchers in
Pennsylvania visiting caves testing bats for WNS. Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Game
Commission has taken action to stop the spread of the disease in more areas. Surprisingly,
according to statistics WNS in Pennsylvania has increased in the last two years as more shocking
discoveries have been made with more and more findings of bat deaths inside caves and outside
on the landscape. According to one biologist professor at Bucknell University, “the mounting of
deaths is appalling and overwhelming that there is a growing urgency and pressure to find a cure
or use of treatments to halt the disease.” Confirmed bat species affected by WNS include the
Eastern pipistrelle, little brown, northern long-eared, the small footed bat, and Indiana bat.
Among these species of bats the federally endangered Indiana bat, native to Pennsylvania, is the
only bat suffering most from WNS having the potential to become extinct.
Having lived and survived for up to 50 million years, bats have become a great source and
helpful hand in improving agricultural aspects, never the less, replenishing ecosystems. If it were
not for bats, insect populations will sky rocket increasing the spread of malignant diseases,
agriculture will have an enormous impact by lowering its productivity due to insect infestation,
and habitats and niches in rainforests or deserts will decline without bat pollination of flowers
and fertilization of fecal matter to replenish ecosystems.
I will start off the article by first, explaining briefly basic information about bats such as
where they live and what they eat. Moreover, I will explain the significance that bats have on the
planet being pollinators, pest control agents, and seed dispersers. I will then move on to making a
brief introduction of White Nose Syndrome, the fungus responsible for causing the disease, and
further explain in detail its effect on bats. Furthermore, I will talk about the discoveries of WNS
starting from the year that it was first discovered in the United States (2006) to where it is
affecting bats in the present day. Then, I will talk about bat observations made by biologists and
researchers when visiting the caves in Pennsylvania, moreover observations and actions made
and taken by the Pennsylvania Game Commission to help prevent the spread of WNS. Finally, I
will talk about the actions that the public can take to prevent white nose syndrome and treatments
that researchers have been trying to come up with to cure WNS in bats.

Credentials

Moving onto my senior year and being an Animal Science major at Penn State University, I
believe that I can be a great candidate for this article. Not knowing much about white nose
syndrome in bats before researching to write this article I have learned a lot through web articles
and newspaper documents on the disease. Interning at Centre Wildlife Care, a wildlife
rehabilitation near Shaver’s Creek Pennsylvania, I have learned a lot from wildlife rehabber
Robyn Graboski. Founder and director of Centre Wildlife, Robyn Graboski has rehabilitated
wildlife for almost twenty two years. Among the wildlife, Robyn knows about bats to give me
enough information about WNS. Although most of my research was found from articles on the
web, I was able to grab some information on WNS from Robyn, explaining that WNS was
confirmed as a disease not an illness and it is affecting most of the bat in cave hibernacula in
Pennsylvania. In close contact with the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), Robyn has been
able to give me some email updates from the PGC concerning WNS along with information on
WNS and how one help save them. With her help I have been able to gather enough information
on WNS in bats. Furthermore, I researched through newspaper articles and Proquest articles
through the Penn State Library website finding detailed information on bat behavior, deaths, and
areas affected by WNS.

With my prior research and time management skills, along with your help and our English
instructor, and PSU libraries, this article has the potential to be informative, persuasive, and
intriguing. My strong interest for writing this article builds my hope to spark the reader with
interest as well as allowing the reader to find it entertaining to read. Furthermore, the topic and
article I am writing for the PA Center for the Book Project will be completed and in a manner
that is acceptable to your standards.

Research

No books on White Nose Syndrome in bats have been published due to being a recent
discovery of the disease. However, my research includes newspaper articles, journals, an
interview, and the web articles on WNS. As I mentioned before, I have researched and gathered
enough information through the Penn State library website. These sources include NewsBank and
Proquest articles. From the Newsbank Access World News, I found information on updates of
WNS in the past four months and observations made a year ago by researchers on WNS when
caves were visited in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, there is information based on recent treatments
that scientists are experimenting with to find a cure for WNS as actions taken by PGC to prevent
the spread of WNS as well as ways that the public can help to reduce the spread of the disease.
There are other several articles that discuss, as reported by biologists and researchers, normal
hibernating behavior in bats compared to bats that have been affected by WNS. The Proquest
 articles discuss statistics of increasing bat deaths in upper northeastern states such as New York,
Connecticut, Massachusetts along with bat deaths in Pennsylvania.
Aside from researching in the PSU library website, I found a variety of images depicting what
WNS looks like on bats. Moreover, I picked out several photos showing the physical conditions
of bats to provide the public with an idea of how serious this disease has affected bats.
Furthermore, speaking with wildlife rehabber Robyn Graboski about WNS allowed me to
understand and learn more about the disease. In close affiliation with the Pennsylvania Game
Commission, Centre Wildlife Care has received recent updates through emails sent on the spread
and number of bats deaths in Pennsylvania caused by WNS.

Technical Description

White Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a deadly fungal

disease that affects bats in hibernacula, cave or mines
where bats hibernate. For the past four years, WNS has
been spreading affecting bats from New England to as
far west as Missouri. As of now, the fungal disease
remains untreatable and as concerns keep rising, the
disease will continue to spread.

Four years ago (2006) in Albany, New York, it the first

discovery ever made when hundreds of bats were
found dead by biologists exploring nearby caves in the
winter. The same physiological characteristics were
seen on the bats dead or alive: the white fungus
appearing on their muzzle and wing membranes
(sometimes appearing on ears). As more and more
investigations were made by biologists visiting caves,
more dead bats were found on the landscape near or
inside the caves. The white fungal disease took off into Figure 1: WNS occurrences by county/district in
spreading from northeast to New England and south to the Northeastern part of the United States
into eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which soon
gave the outbreak the name White- nose Syndrome.
(Close-up of map on
http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2010/04/white_nos
e_syndrome.php )

The white fungus, belonging in the genus

Geomyces distructans, usually appears on the muzzle
(around the nose area) on bats. Up close, the small
patches appear like fuzzy white mold, such as that
Figure 2: WNS seen on the muzzle of bats found on rotten fruit. In other cases, the fungus is seen
on the backs of bats and appears like white snowflakes
bound to the back (Figure 3). However, as seen by researchers and biologists, the fungus appears
on the ears, nose, and wing membranes the majority of the time.
 Geomyces distructans the name given to the fungus, had
not been known to man and science before, remaining
undiscovered until the outbreak of WNS in caves and mines
in 2006. It is given the possibility that European travelers
had introduced the fungus in North America when visiting
nearby caves by carrying the fungal spores on their clothing.
Yet, little is known if the fungus came from a different
country or remained undiscovered by residing in the cool
temperatures in caves in North America. A team of
scientists led by David Blehert and Andrea Gargas
experimented and studied the fungus carefully monitoring
its growth and different temperatures (published in 2008).
Surprisingly the slow growing fungus grew better at 37°F
and 45°F rather than at 75°F (showed no growth). These
cold temperatures were similar to that found in infected bat Figure 3: WNS grown on the back of this
bat hibernating in a cave
caves.
In the winter seasons, bats usually hibernate in the deep
darkness of caves or mines and awaken once or twice every 15-30 days to urinate, drink, and
mate. Interestingly, bats lower their temperatures to a range of 35-50° F barely above the ambient
cave temperature while simultaneously lowering their immune response. Since Geomyces
distructans grows in cold temperatures, there is the explanation why it is growing on bats. With
white nose syndrome affecting bats, hibernating behavior in bats has changed dramatically.
According to witnesses in Chester Mines, Massachusetts in 2009, bats were spotted active in the
months of January-through mid March flying during
the day looking for food and water. In Mifflin county
mines in Pennsylvania, bats were interestingly and
strangely discovered dead on the snow in a ring around
trees. For many biologists and researchers, there is
strong evidence that WNS has affected hibernating
behavior in bats.
Working at a lab at Bucknell University in
Pennsylvania, biology professor Dr. DeeAnn Reeder
studies and performs field work on immune responses
in hibernating bats. Over the past three years, Reeder
has been questionably studying and testing periodic
arousals of bats during hibernation. Strangely enough,
bat arousal time affected with WNS rouse bats every
three or four days depleting their fat reserves, which
explains why bats appear dehydrated and most of the
time emaciated. When a bat is dehydrated the wing
membranes appear shriveled up similar to when a leaf
has not been exposed to water in a long time.
Figure 4: Scientist discovers dead bats According to Reeder, “Sometimes we find dead bats in
affected by WNS near tree barks a ring around trees. We’re not sure exactly, but I think
their body fat gets so lean they wake up and think it’s
spring and it’s time to feed, but don’t find any insects in winter, roost in a tree, die and fall.”
While visiting
the caves in Mifflin County with students last year, Reeder has felt overwhelmed to see these
creatures die in increasing numbers. Reeder hypothesized that bats have an immune-surveillance
system which means that during hibernation, bats increase their body temperature to fight off any
diseases and then lower their temperature again. These periodical warm-ups are what boost the
bat’s physiological system. WNS however, arouses bats, thus leading bats to awaken frequently
causing them to expend their stored energy in search for food.
Working alongside with Dr. Reeder, Greg Turner, a biologist with the Game Commission’s
Wildlife Diversity Section, had also investigated and researched the Mifflin County mines in
2008 counting the number of bats that so far had survived in the cave. “There’d be about 2,000 to
3,000 bats in the area. So far, we’ve counted about 500 and a lot of them are dead. This past fall
we began to examine the health of our bats to see if they came into hibernation…using telemetry
gear and data-loggers to monitor the body temperatures and arousal patterns…” According to
Reeder, the two biologists along with the Pennsylvania Game Commission estimated about 80-
90% mortality in some of the caves in the area in 2008.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) has take action to prevent the spread of WNS.
Caverns including the Aitkin Cave, a well known hibernation site in a 43-acre preserve in Mifflin
County, PA have been banned entry and are closed to the public. Although the disease is not
contagious and harmful to humans, pets and even livestock, the fungal spores are capable of
clinging onto clothing or fur. To make bat
hibernacula save, it is better to keep caves
closed to prevent further spread and
contamination. Caving in the northeast and
areas where WNS has settled, has been
banned by the National Park Service, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture Forest Service and
The Nature Conservancy to prevent further
spread of WNS.
The Game Commission in general
performs field work in caves instate every
year. In the past two years (2008-2010)
however, the Commission has dived further
surveying 20 to 30 hibernacula between
January and March monitoring for WNS. Figure 5: Sign posted in areas where WNS was found or
Moreover, the agency assisted researchers in areas being protected to prevent further spread of the
investigating bats by looking for normal disease
metabolic rate of hibernating bats, studying
normal immune response capabilities of bats, and measuring if there are sufficient fat stores in
bats before hitting hibernation. It is important, not only for the Game Commission, but biologists
and bat researchers to note these hibernating characteristics in bats since hibernation has become
critical ever since the spread of WNS.
 Conclusion

After providing an introduction on WNS in bats, discussing my credentials, informing you on

my current research, and writing a technical description, I hope you are convinced of my ability
to write about this topic to the highest level. I intend to write in a way that the reader will
understand my topic fully. Any questions or concerns feel free to write any comments or advice I
would greatly appreciate it. I therefore requests your permission to continue my research and
writing on WNS for the article. Thank you for your time Allen.

Best Regards,
Carolina Villalobos

Citations

Rick Steelhammer."White-nose disease confirmed in Pendleton bats. " McClatchy –

Tribune Business News 25 February 2009 ABI/INFORM Dateline, ProQuest.
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=2&did=1651007761&SrchMode=2&sid=2&Fmt=3&
Inst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1274631261&clientId=9874 18
May.2010.
• Mediocre
•Talks about the spread of WNS in bats in five different states in the northeastern part of
the US and it’s risk of expansion to the west.
•Info is useful by stating where the disease has spread and how can it affect people of the
States.

Christopher Baxter. "White-nose syndrome killing bats: Flying mammals are found dying of
mysterious fungus in Pennsylvania mine. "McClatchy - Tribune Business News
23 January 2009 ABI/INFORM Dateline, ProQuest.
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=3&did=1631479231&SrchMode=2&sid=2&Fmt=3&
Inst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1274631261&clientId=9874 . 18
May. 2010.
•Mediocre
•Some caves have been affected in the PA and the PGC begins to grow concern of bat
populations beginning to decrease
• This article is helpful by showing statistics of bat populations declining in 2008 when the
WNS began to arise.

"WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME SURFACES IN PENNSYLVANIA. " US Fed News Service,

Including US State News 22 Jan. 2009,General Interest Module, ProQuest.
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=5&did=1635569601&SrchMode=2&sid=2&Fmt=3&
Inst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1274631261&clientId=9874. 18
May.2010.
 • Good
• Two Biologists from Bucknell University and from the Game Commission have been
working on monitoring bat behavior, metabolic activity, and hibernation characteristics of
bats
•This article is helpful by explaining what the two biologists have discovered in the last
two years in terms of bat behavior linking to WNS

Morgan Simmons. "Bat disease spreading much faster than expected. " McClatchy –Tribune
Business News 23 April 2010 ABI/INFORM Dateline, ProQuest.
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=2016571241&SrchMode=2&sid=1&Fmt=3&
Inst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1274636065&clientId=9874. May
2010.
• Mediocre
• WNS confirmed in Tenessee
• there is proof that WNS has reached the caves in Tenessee. The article talks about
some of the common bat species that are affected.

Bhattacharya, S. "Murder in the bat cave." New Scientist 27 Mar. 2010: Research Library
Core, ProQuest.http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=2015960801&SrchMode=2
sid=2&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1274636781&cli
ntId=9874 18 May. 2010.
• Good
•Bat hibernation characteristics
•This article talks about some basic facts about bat hibernation, such as what is the
normal bat hibernating period and what is abnormal of bats hibernating with WNS

Theodore H. Fleming, Cullen Geiselman, and W. John Kress

The evolution of bat pollination: a phylogenetic perspective
Ann. Bot. 2009 104: 1017-1043.
• Mediocre
•Bat Pollination
•Helpful by describing how bats contribute to the ecosystem by pollinating flowers which allow
for the production of more plants eaten by mammals or other species.

Malawsky,Nick. “Bat Disease Confirmed Here.” Centre Daily Times State College PA: pg 1
Newsbank Access World News. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw
search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=12
9107E571C61C0&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=1. Saturday April 11, 2009.
• Good
• WNS syndrome investigated and confirmed in Centre County PA
• The article talks about the discovery of WNS in Centre County, Mifflin county, and areas close to
Centre County where caves have been infected.
ASSOCIATED PRESS. “Bat Disease Could Spread into West.” Erie Times-News PA: ETN.
NewbankBank Access World News. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw
search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=1
F94BF6294264A8&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=6. Saturday, May 8, 2010.
• Mediocre
•White Nose Syndrome is spreading west
• Caves are closing down in the west to prevent further contamination of the fungus. The article
talks about how humans to prevent the spread of WNS and how can the fungus spread from one
area to another.

Hayes, John. CAN BATS BE SAVED? - A LITTLE-UNDERSTOOD FUNGUS IS KILLING

THEM AT AN ALARMING RATE. Pittsburg Post-Gazette PA Two Star: A-1.
NewsBank Access World News. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw
search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=12E4E8C
6123E300&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=8. Sunday, March 7, 2010.
•Good
•Research on bats being made on behavior, WNS, how far researchers have gone with finding a
cure for bats
•article is helpful because it gives me some information on eating, hibernating, and survival
characteristics of bats and how WNS has changed these normal bat behaviors.

Jackson, Kent. “Illness Machines Threatens Bats.” Standard-Speaker Hazleton, PA Daily: Section B
pg12. NewsBank Access World News. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw
search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=12E4E8C
6123E300&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=8. Sunday, March 7, 2010.
• Good
• Cause of how WNS ended up in the US
• Researchers have come to the conclusion that it’s possible that WNS was first introduced in
in America by European travelers which might have carried and brought the disease from
European caves. This article is helpful by explaining how exactly did researchers found out
how the illness was first discovered.

Baress, Cecilia. Biologist Try White-Nose Treatments on Bats. Pattsville Republican,The &
Evening Herald PA Daily: section A pg 1. NewsBank Access World News
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iwsearch/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p
action=doc&p_docid=12DEC744CA79ABD0&p_docnum=3&p_queryname=14. Sunday, March, 7,
2010.
•Mediocre
•Investigating the fungus causing WNS
•helpful article which talks about how two biologists from the Penns. Game Commission investigate
what anti-fungal agents (used in athletes foot) can be used to treat the fungus causing
WNS and can be useful to spray in caves to detain the fungus.
K.,Glen. White Nose Syndrome.2009, O’Bannon State Park, Indiana. Accessed 5 Aug.2009.
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/photo/photo-of-the-day/40556
•Good
• Image of a sign saying “Caves Closed”
•This image is helpful to let the reader know that Game Commissions, not only in PA but in the
northeastern part of the US, caves are closing down to prevent further contamination of bats by
the public

Hicks, Al. White Nose Syndrome in Bats.

http://wildwildweather.com/forecastblog/2009/05/welcome-to-the-what-the-anthropocene/
•Good
•Image of bats with WNS
• Image is helpful to give the reader an idea of what bats look like with the illness

Butchkoski, Cal. WNS Occurrence by County District. 2010. Accessed 1 April.2010.

http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2010/04/white_nose_syndrome.php
•Excellent
• Image of counties affected by WNS from 2006-2010
• Image is helpful to give the reader an idea of how badly WNS has spread in counties in the
northeastern part of the US

Chosy, Julia. Dead Bats. 2010. Accessed 8 April 2010.

http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2010/04/white_nose_syndrome.php
•Excellent
•Image of dead bats in winter
• Image is helpful to allow the reader to see the outcome of WNS in bats in their unusual behavior
to stop hibernating in winter and be active in the months of January-mid March.

Crocoll, Scott. Dead Indiana Bat. 2009, Rodendal, NY. Accessed 27 Jan 2009.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/2009/feb/White-Nose-Syndrome-Spreading-Among
Bats.html
•Excellent
•Image of wing of dehydrated bat
•Image is helpful to allow the reader to see how WNS has affected bats in that bats lose a lot of
water that causes their wings to crumble up due to loss of water in their bodies.

Graboski, Robyn. Personal INTERVIEW. 20 May 2010.

•Good
• She talks about WNS in bats
• This interview was helpful in understanding a little more about WNS. She talks about how
WNS has been confirmed as a disease not an illness. The PGC has prohibited Wildlife Rehabs to
rehabilitate bats.

Lindholm, Jane. “Scientists Racing to Protect Bats from WNS.” Vermont Public Radio. 6 March
2009. http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/84295/. 20 May 2010
 •Mediocre
•reporter Jane Lindholm talks about her trip with biologist to visit a cave hibernacula in New
England (Vermont) to study how badly bats have been affected by WNS
• this article is helpful in that it gives several statistics of bat deaths at the mouth of the cave. Also
it gives several details of Jane’s experience of what she observed when she visited the cave.

Science Daily. “WNS In Bats: First Prevention Proposed by Ecologists.” Science News.10 March
2009. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305102709.htm. 20 May 2010
• Mediocre
•The article shows statistics of number of bats that have died
•This article is helpful because it talks about ways that one can solve the issue to stop WNS

Volks, Tom. “Geomyces Destructants.” TomVolkFungi. May 2009.

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/may2009.html. 20 May 2010
•Good
•Info on fungus Geomyces-the killing fungus affecting bats undergoing WNS
• this article is helpful by explaining detailed information on fungus Geomyces such as: where it
grows, what suitable environments is the fungus resistant to, why has it been killing bats in
caves, etc.

White Nose Syndrome in Bats. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Servies

n.d.http://www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html. 20 May 2010
•Good
•Frequently asked questions of WNS (what is it, where has it been observed, ect.)
•This article is helpful by explaining the signs of WNS in bats, what can a person do when finding
a bat with WNS, what threats does it impose on humans, & how WNS has endangered the
Indiana Bat.

DeCoskey, Jason L. “Re:White Nose Syndrome Update.” Message to Robyn Graboski. August 3,
2009. Email
• Mediocre
•the email talks about how the PGC (Pennsylvania Game Commission) is trying to be actively
involved in WNS surveillance.
• describes what has been discovered of the fungus on bats in PA and what the bats are looking like
in the caves.

Williams, Lisa. “WNS Update for Rehabbers.” Message to Robyn Graboski. December 3, 2009.
Email.
•Mediocre
•The email talks about observations made by the PGC about flying bats I the daytime, which is
unusual.
•There are indications of unusual behavior such as flying during the day instead of night.
•There has been in an increase in the number of bats confirmed with WNS in several counties.
Graboski, Robyn. “ Help save Bats from Deadly Epidemic.” Message to CWC-Supporter Lists.
May 21,2010. Email.
• Good
• Funding of WNS to Congress help fund WNS and stop the epidemic as soon as possible
• What can you do as a person to try save bats from WNS
• Statistics of number of bats in popular National Parks caves that have died

“All About Bat/Intro to Bats.” Bat Conservation International. n.d.

http://www.batcon.org/index.php/all-about-bats/intro-to-bats/subcategory/18.html. 23 May. 2010.
• Good
• Talks about how and why bats are important in our ecosystem
• Bats play a role as pollinators, pest control, & seed dispersal agents