The Experts below are selected from a list of 2265 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
David S Blehert - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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mycobiome traits associated with disease tolerance predict many western north american bat species will be susceptible to White Nose Syndrome
Microbiology spectrum, 2021Co-Authors: David S Blehert, Karen J. Vanderwolf, Lewis J. Campbell, Tony L. Goldberg, Daniel R Taylor, Jeffrey M LorchAbstract:White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that has caused catastrophic population declines of bats in eastern North America, is rapidly spreading across the continent and now threatens previously unexposed bat species in western North America. The causal agent of WNS, the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, can infect many species of hibernating bats, but susceptibility to WNS varies by host species. We previously reported that certain traits of the skin microbiome, particularly yeast diversity and abundance, of bat species in eastern North America are strongly associated with resistance to WNS. Using these traits, we developed models to predict WNS susceptibility of 13 species of western North American bats. Based on models derived from yeast species diversity, only one bat species, Myotis velifer, was predicted to be WNS resistant (i.e., may develop the disease, but with low mortality rates). We also screened yeasts found on western bats for P. destructans-antagonistic properties by spore germination and growth inhibition/competition assays and found the ability of yeasts to inhibit P. destructans in vitro to be strain specific. Similar to results of inhibition assays performed with yeasts isolated from bats in eastern North America, few yeasts isolated from bats in western North America inhibited P. destructans in vitro. Continued monitoring of western bat populations will serve to validate the accuracy of the mycobiome analysis in predicting WNS susceptibility, document population and susceptibility trends, and identify additional predictors to assess the vulnerability of naive bat populations to WNS. IMPORTANCE White-Nose Syndrome is one of the most devastating wildlife diseases ever documented. Some bat species are resistant to or tolerant of the disease, and we previously reported that certain traits of the skin mycobiome of bat species in eastern North America are strongly associated with resistance to WNS. Predicting which western bat species will be most susceptible to WNS would be of great value for establishing conservation priorities. Based on models derived from yeast species diversity, only one bat species was predicted to be WNS resistant. High susceptibility to WNS would pose a significant conservation threat to bats in western North America.
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analysis of archival specimens confirms White Nose Syndrome in little brown bats myotis lucifugus from new york usa in spring 2007
Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 2021Co-Authors: Jeffrey M Lorch, Brenda M Berlowskizier, Saskia Keller, Anne Ballman, David S BlehertAbstract:White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), an emerging fungal disease of North American bats, was first diagNosed in January 2008, although mortality and photodocumentation suggest the disease might have been present earlier. Using archived samples, we describe a definitive case of WNS in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) from New York, US, in spring 2007.
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Skin fungal assemblages of bats vary based on susceptibility to White-Nose Syndrome
The ISME Journal, 2020Co-Authors: Karen J. Vanderwolf, David S Blehert, Lewis J. Campbell, Tony L. Goldberg, Jeffrey M LorchAbstract:Microbial skin assemblages, including fungal communities, can influence host resistance to infectious diseases. The diversity-invasibility hypothesis predicts that high-diversity communities are less easily invaded than species-poor communities, and thus diverse microbial communities may prevent pathogens from colonizing a host. To explore the hypothesis that host fungal communities mediate resistance to infection by fungal pathogens, we investigated characteristics of bat skin fungal communities as they relate to susceptibility to the emerging disease White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). Using a culture-based approach, we compared skin fungal assemblage characteristics of 10 bat species that differ in susceptibility to WNS across 10 eastern U.S. states. The fungal assemblages on WNS-susceptible bat species had significantly lower alpha diversity and abundance compared to WNS-resistant species. Overall fungal assemblage structure did not vary based on WNS-susceptibility, but several yeast species were differentially abundant on WNS-resistant bat species. One yeast species inhibited Pseudogymnoascus destructans ( Pd ), the causative agent on WNS, in vitro under certain conditions, suggesting a possible role in host protection. Further exploration of interactions between Pd and constituents of skin fungal assemblages may prove useful for predicting susceptibility of bat populations to WNS and for developing effective mitigation strategies.
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experimental infection of tadarida brasiliensis with pseudogymnoascus destructans the fungus that causes White Nose Syndrome
mSphere, 2018Co-Authors: Carol Uphoff Meteyer, Michelle L Verant, Benjamin Stading, David S BlehertAbstract:ABSTRACT White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is causing significant declines in populations of North American hibernating bats, and recent western and southern expansions of the disease have placed additional species at risk. Understanding differences in species susceptibility and identifying management actions to reduce mortality of bats from WNS are top research priorities. However, the use of wild-caught susceptible bats, such as Myotis lucifugus, as model species for WNS research is problematic and places additional pressure on remnant populations. We investigated the feasibility of using Tadarida brasiliensis, a highly abundant species of bat that tolerates captivity, as the basis for an experimental animal model for WNS. Using methods previously established to confirm the etiology of WNS in M. lucifugus, we experimentally infected 11 T. brasiliensis bats with Pseudogymnoascus destructans in the laboratory under conditions that induced hibernation. We detected P. destructans on all 11 experimentally infected bats, 7 of which exhibited localized proliferation of hyphae within the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue, similar to invasive cutaneous ascomycosis observed in M. lucifugus bats with WNS. However, the distribution of lesions across wing membranes of T. brasiliensis bats was limited, and only one discrete “cupping erosion,” diagnostic for WNS, was identified. Thus, the rarity of lesions definitive for WNS suggests that T. brasiliensis does not likely represent an appropriate model for studying the pathophysiology of this disease. Nonetheless, the results of this study prompt questions concerning the potential for free-ranging, migratory T. brasiliensis bats to become infected with P. destructans and move the fungal pathogen between roost sites used by species susceptible to WNS. IMPORTANCE White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that is causing severe declines of bat populations in North America. Identifying ways to reduce the impacts of this disease is a priority but is inhibited by the lack of an experimental animal model that does not require the use of wild-caught bat species already impacted by WNS. We tested whether Tadarida brasiliensis, one of the most abundant species of bats in the Americas, could serve as a suitable animal model for WNS research. While T. brasiliensis bats were susceptible to experimental infection with the fungus under conditions that induced hibernation, the species exhibited limited pathology diagnostic for WNS. These results indicate that T. brasiliensis is not likely a suitable experimental model for WNS research. However, the recovery of viable WNS-causing fungus from experimentally infected bats indicates a potential for this species to contribute to the spread of the pathogen where it coexists with other species of bats affected by WNS.
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determinants of pseudogymnoascus destructans within bat hibernacula implications for surveillance and management of White Nose Syndrome
Journal of Applied Ecology, 2018Co-Authors: Michelle L Verant, Elizabeth A Bohuski, Katherine L D Richgels, Kevin J Olival, Jonathan H Epstein, David S BlehertAbstract:1. Fungal diseases are an emerging global problem affecting human health, food security and biodiversity. Ability of many fungal pathogens to persist within environmental reservoirs can increase extinction risks for host species and presents challenges for disease control. Understanding factors that regulate pathogen spread and persistence in these reservoirs is critical for effective disease management. 2. White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a disease of hibernating bats caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), a fungus that establishes persistent environmental reservoirs within bat hibernacula, which contribute to seasonal disease transmission dynamics in bats. However, host and environmental factors influencing distribution of Pd within these reservoirs are unknown. 3. We used model selection on longitudinally collected field data to test multiple hypotheses describing presence-absence and abundance of Pd in environmental substrates and on bats within hibernacula at different stages of WNS. 4. First detection of Pd in the environment lagged up to one year after first detection on bats within that hibernaculum. Once detected, the probability of detecting Pd within environmental samples from a hibernaculum increased over time and was higher in sediment compared to wall surfaces. Temperature had marginal effects on the distribution of Pd. For bats, prevalence and abundance of Pd were highest on Myotis lucifugus and on bats with visible signs of WNS. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that distribution of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) within a hibernaculum is driven primarily by bats with delayed establishment of environmental reservoirs. Thus, collection of samples from Myotis lucifugus, or from sediment if bats cannot be sampled, should be prioritized to improve detection probabilities for Pd surveillance. Long-term persistence of Pd in sediment suggests that disease management for White-Nose Syndrome should address risks of sustained transmission from environmental reservoirs.
Winifred F. Frick - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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field trial of a probiotic bacteria to protect bats from White Nose Syndrome
Scientific Reports, 2019Co-Authors: Kate E. Langwig, Winifred F. Frick, Joseph R Hoyt, Katy L Parise, Paul J White, Heather M Kaarakka, Jennifer A RedellAbstract:Tools for reducing wildlife disease impacts are needed to conserve biodiversity. White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has caused widespread declines in North American bat populations and threatens several species with extinction. Few tools exist for managers to reduce WNS impacts. We tested the efficacy of a probiotic bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens, to reduce impacts of WNS in two simultaneous experiments with caged and free-flying Myotis lucifugus bats at a mine in Wisconsin, USA. In the cage experiment there was no difference in survival between control and P. fluorescens-treated bats. However, body mass, not infection intensity, predicted mortality, suggesting that within-cage disturbance influenced the cage experiment. In the free-flying experiment, where bats were able to avoid conspecific disturbance, infection intensity predicted the date of emergence from the mine. In this experiment treatment with P. fluorescens increased apparent overwinter survival five-fold compared to the control group (from 8.4% to 46.2%) by delaying emergence of bats from the site by approximately 32 days. These results suggest that treatment of bats with P. fluorescens may substantially reduce WNS mortality, and, if used in combination with other interventions, could stop population declines.
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higher fat stores contribute to persistence of little brown bat populations with White Nose Syndrome
Journal of Animal Ecology, 2019Co-Authors: Jonathan D Reichard, Marianne S Moore, Craig K R Willis, Tina L. Cheng, Winifred F. Frick, Alexander R Gerson, Joely G Desimone, Auston Marm KilpatrickAbstract:The persistence of populations declining from novel stressors depends, in part, on their ability to respond by trait change via evolution or plasticity. White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) has caused rapid declines in several North America bat species by disrupting hibernation behaviour, leading to body fat depletion and starvation. However, some populations of Myotis lucifugus now persist with WNS by unknown mechanisms. We examined whether persistence of M. lucifigus with WNS could be explained by increased body fat in early winter, which would allow bats to tolerate the increased energetic costs associated with WNS. We also investigated whether bats were escaping infection or resistant to infection as an alternative mechanism explaining persistence. We measured body fat in early and late winter during initial WNS invasion and 8 years later at six sites where bats are now persisting. We also measured infection prevalence and intensity in persisting populations. Infection prevalence was not significantly lower than observed in declining populations. However, at two sites, infection loads were lower than observed in declining populations. Body fat in early winter was significantly higher in four of the six persisting populations than during WNS invasion. Physiological models of energy use indicated that these higher fat stores could reduce WNS mortality by 58%-70%. These results suggest that differences in fat storage and infection dynamics have reduced the impacts of WNS in many populations. Increases in body fat provide a potential mechanism for management intervention to help conserve bat populations.
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pathogen dynamics during invasion and establishment of White Nose Syndrome explain mechanisms of host persistence
Ecology, 2017Co-Authors: Kate E. Langwig, Tina L. Cheng, Winifred F. Frick, Joseph R Hoyt, Katy L Parise, Amanda F Janicki, Jeffrey T. FosterAbstract:Disease dynamics during pathogen invasion and establishment determine the impacts of disease on host populations and determine the mechanisms of host persistence. Temporal progression of prevalence and infection intensity illustrate whether tolerance, resistance, reduced transmission, or demographic compensation allow initially declining populations to persist. We measured infection dynamics of the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans that causes White-Nose Syndrome in bats by estimating pathogen prevalence and load in seven bat species at 167 hibernacula over a decade as the pathogen invaded, became established, and some host populations stabilized. Fungal loads increased rapidly and prevalence rose to nearly 100% at most sites within 2 yr of invasion in six of seven species. Prevalence and loads did not decline over time despite huge reductions in colony sizes, likely due to an extensive environmental reservoir. However, there was substantial variation in fungal load among sites with persisting colonies, suggesting that both tolerance and resistance developed at different sites in the same species. In contrast, one species disappeared from hibernacula within 3 yr of pathogen invasion. Variable host responses to pathogen invasion require different management strategies to prevent disease-induced extinction and to facilitate evolution of tolerance or resistance in persisting populations.
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resistance in persisting bat populations after White Nose Syndrome invasion
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2017Co-Authors: Kate E. Langwig, Jeffrey T. Foster, Winifred F. Frick, Joseph R Hoyt, Katy L Parise, Marm A KilpatrickAbstract:Increases in anthropogenic movement have led to a rise in pathogen introductions and the emergence of infectious diseases in naive host communities worldwide. We combined empirical data and mathematical models to examine changes in disease dynamics in little brown bat ( Myotis lucifugus ) populations following the introduction of the emerging fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans , which causes the disease White-Nose Syndrome. We found that infection intensity was much lower in persisting populations than in declining populations where the fungus has recently invaded. Fitted models indicate that this is most consistent with a reduction in the growth rate of the pathogen when fungal loads become high. The data are inconsistent with the evolution of tolerance or an overall reduced pathogen growth rate that might be caused by environmental factors. The existence of resistance in some persisting populations of little brown bats offers a glimmer of hope that a precipitously declining species will persist in the face of this deadly pathogen. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Human influences on evolution, and the ecological and societal consequences’.
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White Nose Syndrome disease severity and a comparison of diagnostic methods
Ecohealth, 2016Co-Authors: Jeffrey T. Foster, Liam P Mcguire, Winifred F. Frick, Lisa Warnecke, James M Turner, Trent K Bollinger, Vikram Misra, Glenna F Mcgregor, Marm A KilpatrickAbstract:White-Nose Syndrome is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans and has killed millions of hibernating bats in North America but the pathophysiology of the disease remains poorly understood. Our objectives were to (1) assess non-destructive diagnostic methods for P. destructans infection compared to histopathology, the current gold-standard, and (2) to evaluate potential metrics of disease severity. We used data from three captive inoculation experiments involving 181 little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) to compare histopathology, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and ultraviolet fluorescence as diagnostic methods of P. destructans infection. To assess disease severity, we considered two histology metrics (wing area with fungal hyphae, area of dermal necrosis), P. destructans fungal load (qPCR), ultraviolet fluorescence, and blood chemistry (hematocrit, sodium, glucose, pCO2, and bicarbonate). Quantitative PCR was most effective for early detection of P. destructans, while all three methods were comparable in severe infections. Correlations among hyphae and necrosis scores, qPCR, ultraviolet fluorescence, blood chemistry, and hibernation duration indicate a multi-stage pattern of disease. Disruptions of homeostasis occurred rapidly in late hibernation. Our results provide valuable information about the use of non-destructive techniques for monitoring, and provide novel insight into the pathophysiology of White-Nose Syndrome, with implications for developing and implementing potential mitigation strategies.
Deeann M Reeder - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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White Nose Syndrome fungus in a 1918 bat specimen from france
Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2017Co-Authors: Michael G Campana, Deeann M Reeder, Jeffrey T. Foster, Naoko P Kurata, Lauren E Helgen, Robert C Fleischer, Kristofer M HelgenAbstract:White-Nose Syndrome, first diagNosed in North America in 2006, causes mass deaths among bats in North America. We found the causative fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, in a 1918 sample collected in Europe, where bats have now adapted to the fungus. These results are consistent with a Eurasian origin of the pathogen.
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immune responses in hibernating little brown myotis myotis lucifugus with White Nose Syndrome
Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2017Co-Authors: Deeann M Reeder, Joseph S. Johnson, Thomas M Lilley, Jenni M Prokkola, E J Rogers, S Gronsky, Allen Kurta, Kenneth A FieldAbstract:White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease responsible for decimating many bat populations in North America. Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the psychrophilic fungus responsible for WNS, pros...
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immune responses in hibernating little brown myotis myotis lucifugus with White Nose Syndrome
Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2017Co-Authors: Deeann M Reeder, Joseph S. Johnson, Thomas M Lilley, Jenni M Prokkola, E J Rogers, S Gronsky, Allen Kurta, Kenneth A FieldAbstract:White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease responsible for decimating many bat populations in North America. Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the psychrophilic fungus responsible for WNS, prospers in the winter habitat of many hibernating bat species. The immune response that Pd elicits in bats is not yet fully understood; antibodies are produced in response to infection by Pd, but they may not be protective and indeed may be harmful. To understand how bats respond to infection during hibernation, we studied the effect of Pd inoculation on the survival and gene expression of captive hibernating Myotis lucifugus with varying pre-hibernation antifungal antibody titres. We investigated gene expression through the transcription of selected cytokine genes (Il6, Il17a, Il1b, Il4 and Ifng) associated with inflammatory, Th1, Th2 and Th17 immune responses in wing tissue and lymph nodes. We found no difference in survival between bats with low and high anti-Pd titres, although anti-Pd antibody production during hibernation differed significantly between infected and uninfected bats. Transcription of Il6 and Il17a was higher in the lymph nodes of infected bats compared with uninfected bats. Increased transcription of these cytokines in the lymph node suggests that a pro-inflammatory immune response to WNS is not restricted to infected tissues and occurs during hibernation. The resulting Th17 response may be protective in euthermic bats, but because it may disrupt torpor, it could be detrimental during hibernation.
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White Nose Syndrome survivors do not exhibit frequent arousals associated with pseudogymnoascus destructans infection
Frontiers in Zoology, 2016Co-Authors: Thomas M Lilley, Joseph S. Johnson, Kenneth A Field, Lasse Ruokolainen, Elisabeth Jeannine Rogers, Cali Ann Wilson, Spencer Mead Schell, Deeann M ReederAbstract:White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) has devastated bat populations in North America, with millions of bats dead. WNS is associated with physiological changes in hibernating bats, leading to increased arousals from hibernation and premature consumption of fat reserves. However, there is evidence of surviving populations of little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) close to where the fungus was first detected nearly ten years ago. We examined the hibernation patterns of a surviving population of little brown myotis and compared them to patterns in populations before the arrival of WNS and populations at the peak of WNS mortality. Despite infection with Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative fungal agent, the remnant population displayed less frequent arousals from torpor and lower torpid body temperatures than bats that died from WNS during the peak of mortality. The hibernation patterns of the remnant population resembled pre-WNS patterns with some modifications. These data show that remnant populations of little brown myotis do not experience the increase in periodic arousals from hibernation typified by bats dying from WNS, despite the presence of the fungal pathogen on their skin. These patterns may reflect the use of colder hibernacula microclimates by WNS survivors, and/or may reflect differences in how these bats respond to the disease.
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balancing the costs of wildlife research with the benefits of understanding a panzootic disease White Nose Syndrome
Ilar Journal, 2016Co-Authors: Deeann M Reeder, Kenneth A Field, Matthew H SlaterAbstract:: Additional ethical issues surrounding wildlife research compared with biomedical research include consideration of the harm of research to the ecosystem as a whole and the benefits of conservation to the same species of animals under study. Research on White-Nose Syndrome in bats provides a case study to apply these considerations to determine whether research that harms ecosystems under crisis is justified. By expanding well-established guidelines for animal and human subjects research, we demonstrate that this research can be considered highly justified. Studies must minimize the amount of harm to the ecosystem while maximizing the knowledge gained. However, the likelihood of direct application of the results of the research for conservation should not necessarily take priority over other considerations, particularly when the entire context of the ecologic disaster is poorly understood. Since the emergence of White-Nose Syndrome, researchers have made great strides in understanding this panzootic disease and are now in a position to utilize this knowledge to mitigate this wildlife crisis.
Jeffrey M Lorch - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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mycobiome traits associated with disease tolerance predict many western north american bat species will be susceptible to White Nose Syndrome
Microbiology spectrum, 2021Co-Authors: David S Blehert, Karen J. Vanderwolf, Lewis J. Campbell, Tony L. Goldberg, Daniel R Taylor, Jeffrey M LorchAbstract:White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that has caused catastrophic population declines of bats in eastern North America, is rapidly spreading across the continent and now threatens previously unexposed bat species in western North America. The causal agent of WNS, the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, can infect many species of hibernating bats, but susceptibility to WNS varies by host species. We previously reported that certain traits of the skin microbiome, particularly yeast diversity and abundance, of bat species in eastern North America are strongly associated with resistance to WNS. Using these traits, we developed models to predict WNS susceptibility of 13 species of western North American bats. Based on models derived from yeast species diversity, only one bat species, Myotis velifer, was predicted to be WNS resistant (i.e., may develop the disease, but with low mortality rates). We also screened yeasts found on western bats for P. destructans-antagonistic properties by spore germination and growth inhibition/competition assays and found the ability of yeasts to inhibit P. destructans in vitro to be strain specific. Similar to results of inhibition assays performed with yeasts isolated from bats in eastern North America, few yeasts isolated from bats in western North America inhibited P. destructans in vitro. Continued monitoring of western bat populations will serve to validate the accuracy of the mycobiome analysis in predicting WNS susceptibility, document population and susceptibility trends, and identify additional predictors to assess the vulnerability of naive bat populations to WNS. IMPORTANCE White-Nose Syndrome is one of the most devastating wildlife diseases ever documented. Some bat species are resistant to or tolerant of the disease, and we previously reported that certain traits of the skin mycobiome of bat species in eastern North America are strongly associated with resistance to WNS. Predicting which western bat species will be most susceptible to WNS would be of great value for establishing conservation priorities. Based on models derived from yeast species diversity, only one bat species was predicted to be WNS resistant. High susceptibility to WNS would pose a significant conservation threat to bats in western North America.
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analysis of archival specimens confirms White Nose Syndrome in little brown bats myotis lucifugus from new york usa in spring 2007
Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 2021Co-Authors: Jeffrey M Lorch, Brenda M Berlowskizier, Saskia Keller, Anne Ballman, David S BlehertAbstract:White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), an emerging fungal disease of North American bats, was first diagNosed in January 2008, although mortality and photodocumentation suggest the disease might have been present earlier. Using archived samples, we describe a definitive case of WNS in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) from New York, US, in spring 2007.
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Skin fungal assemblages of bats vary based on susceptibility to White-Nose Syndrome
The ISME Journal, 2020Co-Authors: Karen J. Vanderwolf, David S Blehert, Lewis J. Campbell, Tony L. Goldberg, Jeffrey M LorchAbstract:Microbial skin assemblages, including fungal communities, can influence host resistance to infectious diseases. The diversity-invasibility hypothesis predicts that high-diversity communities are less easily invaded than species-poor communities, and thus diverse microbial communities may prevent pathogens from colonizing a host. To explore the hypothesis that host fungal communities mediate resistance to infection by fungal pathogens, we investigated characteristics of bat skin fungal communities as they relate to susceptibility to the emerging disease White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). Using a culture-based approach, we compared skin fungal assemblage characteristics of 10 bat species that differ in susceptibility to WNS across 10 eastern U.S. states. The fungal assemblages on WNS-susceptible bat species had significantly lower alpha diversity and abundance compared to WNS-resistant species. Overall fungal assemblage structure did not vary based on WNS-susceptibility, but several yeast species were differentially abundant on WNS-resistant bat species. One yeast species inhibited Pseudogymnoascus destructans ( Pd ), the causative agent on WNS, in vitro under certain conditions, suggesting a possible role in host protection. Further exploration of interactions between Pd and constituents of skin fungal assemblages may prove useful for predicting susceptibility of bat populations to WNS and for developing effective mitigation strategies.
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first detection of bat White Nose Syndrome in western north america
mSphere, 2016Co-Authors: Jeffrey M Lorch, Daniel L. Lindner, Jonathan M Palmer, Anne Ballmann, Kyle G George, Kathryn M Griffin, Susan Knowles, John R Huckabee, Katherine H Haman, Christopher D AndersonAbstract:ABSTRACT White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is an emerging fungal disease of bats caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since it was first detected near Albany, NY, in 2006, the fungus has spread across eastern North America, killing unprecedented numbers of hibernating bats. The devastating impacts of WNS on Nearctic bat species are attributed to the likely introduction of P. destructans from Eurasia to naive host populations in eastern North America. Since 2006, the disease has spread in a gradual wavelike pattern consistent with introduction of the pathogen at a single location. Here, we describe the first detection of P. destructans in western North America in a little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) from near Seattle, WA, far from the previously recognized geographic distribution of the fungus. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the isolate of P. destructans from Washington grouped with other isolates of a presumed clonal lineage from the eastern United States. Thus, the occurrence of P. destructans in Washington does not likely represent a novel introduction of the fungus from Eurasia, and the lack of intensive surveillance in the western United States makes it difficult to interpret whether the occurrence of P. destructans in the Pacific Northwest is disjunct from that in eastern North America. Although there is uncertainty surrounding the impacts of WNS in the Pacific Northwest, the presence of the pathogen in western North America could have major consequences for bat conservation. IMPORTANCE White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) represents one of the most consequential wildlife diseases of modern times. Since it was first documented in New York in 2006, the disease has killed millions of bats and threatens several formerly abundant species with extirpation or extinction. The spread of WNS in eastern North America has been relatively gradual, inducing optimism that disease mitigation strategies could be established in time to conserve bats susceptible to WNS in western North America. The recent detection of the fungus that causes WNS in the Pacific Northwest, far from its previous known distribution, increases the urgency for understanding the long-term impacts of this disease and for developing strategies to conserve imperiled bat species.
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use of multiple sequencing technologies to produce a high quality genome of the fungus pseudogymnoascus destructans the causative agent of bat White Nose Syndrome
Genome Announcements, 2016Co-Authors: Kevin P. Drees, Jeffrey M Lorch, Jonathan M Palmer, David S Blehert, Robert Sebra, Cynthia Chen, Jin Woo Bok, Nancy P Keller, Christina A Cuomo, Daniel L. LindnerAbstract:White-Nose Syndrome has recently emerged as one of the most devastating wildlife diseases recorded, causing widespread mortality in numerous bat species throughout eastern North America. Here, we present an improved reference genome of the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans for use in comparative genomic studies.
Craig K R Willis - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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disease recovery in bats affected by White Nose Syndrome
The Journal of Experimental Biology, 2020Co-Authors: Nathan W Fuller, Liam P Mcguire, Heather W Mayberry, Evan L Pannkuk, Todd A Blute, Catherine G Haase, Thomas S Risch, Craig K R WillisAbstract:ABSTRACT Processes associated with recovery of survivors are understudied components of wildlife infectious diseases. White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) in bats provides an opportunity to study recovery of disease survivors, understand implications of recovery for individual energetics, and assess the role of survivors in pathogen transmission. We documented temporal patterns of recovery from WNS in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) following hibernation to test the hypotheses that: (1) recovery of wing structure from WNS matches a rapid time scale (i.e. approximately 30 days) suggested by data from free-ranging bats; (2) torpor expression plays a role in recovery; (3) wing physiological function returns to normal alongside structural recovery; and (4) pathogen loads decline quickly during recovery. We collected naturally infected bats at the end of hibernation, brought them into captivity, and quantified recovery over 40 days by monitoring body mass, wing damage, thermoregulation, histopathology of wing biopsies, skin surface lipids and fungal load. Most metrics returned to normal within 30 days, although wing damage was still detectable at the end of the study. Torpor expression declined overall throughout the study, but bats expressed relatively shallow torpor bouts – with a plateau in minimum skin temperature – during intensive healing between approximately days 8 and 15. Pathogen loads were nearly undetectable after the first week of the study, but some bats were still detectably infected at day 40. Our results suggest that healing bats face a severe energetic imbalance during early recovery from direct costs of healing and reduced foraging efficiency. Management of WNS should not rely solely on actions during winter, but should also aim to support energy balance of recovering bats during spring and summer.
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disease recovery in bats affected by White Nose Syndrome
The Journal of Experimental Biology, 2020Co-Authors: Nathan W Fuller, Liam P Mcguire, Heather W Mayberry, Evan L Pannkuk, Todd A Blute, Catherine G Haase, Thomas S Risch, Craig K R WillisAbstract:Processes associated with recovery of survivors are understudied components of wildlife infectious diseases. White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) in bats provides an opportunity to study recovery of disease survivors, understand implications of recovery for individual energetics, and assess the role of survivors in pathogen transmission. We documented temporal patterns of recovery from WNS in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) following hibernation to test the hypotheses that: 1) recovery of wing structure from WNS matches a rapid timescale (i.e., about 30 days) suggested by data from free-ranging bats; 2) torpor expression plays a role in recovery; 3) wing physiological function returns to normal alongside structural recovery; and 4) pathogen loads decline quickly during recovery. We collected naturally infected bats at the end of hibernation, brought them into captivity, and quantified recovery over 40 days by monitoring body mass, wing damage, thermoregulation, histopathology of wing biopsies, skin surface lipids, and fungal load. Most metrics returned to normal within 30 days although wing damage was still detectable at the end of the study. Torpor expression declined overall throughout the study but bats expressed relatively shallow torpor bouts, with a plateau in minimum skin temperature, during intensive healing between about days 8 and 15. Pathogen loads were nearly undetectable after the first week of the study , but some bats were still detectably infected at day 40. Our results suggest that healing bats face severe energetic imbalance during early recovery from direct costs of healing and reduced foraging efficiency. Management of WNS should not rely solely on actions during winter but should also aim to support energy balance of recovering bats during spring and summer.
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higher fat stores contribute to persistence of little brown bat populations with White Nose Syndrome
Journal of Animal Ecology, 2019Co-Authors: Jonathan D Reichard, Marianne S Moore, Craig K R Willis, Tina L. Cheng, Winifred F. Frick, Alexander R Gerson, Joely G Desimone, Auston Marm KilpatrickAbstract:The persistence of populations declining from novel stressors depends, in part, on their ability to respond by trait change via evolution or plasticity. White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) has caused rapid declines in several North America bat species by disrupting hibernation behaviour, leading to body fat depletion and starvation. However, some populations of Myotis lucifugus now persist with WNS by unknown mechanisms. We examined whether persistence of M. lucifigus with WNS could be explained by increased body fat in early winter, which would allow bats to tolerate the increased energetic costs associated with WNS. We also investigated whether bats were escaping infection or resistant to infection as an alternative mechanism explaining persistence. We measured body fat in early and late winter during initial WNS invasion and 8 years later at six sites where bats are now persisting. We also measured infection prevalence and intensity in persisting populations. Infection prevalence was not significantly lower than observed in declining populations. However, at two sites, infection loads were lower than observed in declining populations. Body fat in early winter was significantly higher in four of the six persisting populations than during WNS invasion. Physiological models of energy use indicated that these higher fat stores could reduce WNS mortality by 58%-70%. These results suggest that differences in fat storage and infection dynamics have reduced the impacts of WNS in many populations. Increases in body fat provide a potential mechanism for management intervention to help conserve bat populations.
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White Nose Syndrome increases torpid metabolic rate and evaporative water loss in hibernating bats
American Journal of Physiology-regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2017Co-Authors: Liam P Mcguire, Heather W Mayberry, Craig K R WillisAbstract:Fungal diseases of wildlife typically manifest as superficial skin infections but can have devastating consequences for host physiology and survival. White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a fungal skin dise...
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prelude to a panzootic gene flow and immunogenetic variation in northern little brown myotis vulnerable to bat White Nose Syndrome
FACETS, 2017Co-Authors: Craig K R Willis, Christina M. Davy, Michael E. Donaldson, Yessica Rico, Cori L Lausen, Kathleen Dogantzis, Kyle Ritchie, Douglas W BurlesAbstract:The fungus that causes bat White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) recently leaped from eastern North America to the Pacific Coast. The pathogen’s spread is associated with the genetic population structure of a host (Myotis lucifugus). To understand the fine-scale neutral and immunogenetic variation among northern populations of M. lucifugus, we sampled 1142 individuals across the species’ northern range. We used genotypes at 11 microsatellite loci to reveal the genetic structure of, and directional gene flow among, populations to predict the likely future spread of the pathogen in the northwest and to estimate effective population size (Ne). We also pyrosequenced the DRB1-like exon 2 of the class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in 160 individuals to explore immunogenetic selection by WNS. We identified three major neutral genetic clusters: Eastern, Montane Cordillera (and adjacent sampling areas), and Haida Gwaii, with admixture at intermediate areas and significant substructure west of the prairies. Estimat...
