Abstract

White-nose syndrome is an emerging disease in Europe and North America, causing significant decline in bat populations. Wing fluorescence is detected in many white-syndrome afflicted bats under UV illumination. Wing pathology in the white-nose infected bats is associated with the fluorescence. Damaged wings significantly reduce thermoregulatory, foraging, and reproductive capacities of bats after hibernation. Thus far, no studies on the fluorescence phenomenon observed in the diseased bats have been done. No surveys of microbes have been performed in white-nose afflicted bats and no comparison studies on changes to the microbiota in diseased animals have been conducted. This study focused on bacteria associated with white-nose syndrome infected bats, collected from fluorescing and nonfluorescing bats. We hypothesized that Pseudomonas species such as P. fluorescens might be responsible for the fluorescence in white-nose afflicted bats. We also expected that fluorescing and nonfluorescing white-nose syndrome infected bats would have different microbiota. Eighty-two microorganisms were grown in pure culture; fourteen of these were identified. No significant differences were found between the microbiota of fluorescing and nonfluorescing bats. Pseudomonas fluorescens along with other Pseudomonas species could be responsible for the fluorescence observed on bats with white-nose syndrome.

How to Cite