title: White-nose syndrome fungus (Geomyces destructans) in bats, Europe.
abstract: White-nose syndrome is an emerging disease in North America that has caused substantial declines in hibernating bats. A recently identified fungus (Geomyces destructans) causes skin lesions that are characteristic of this disease. Typical signs of this infection were not observed in bats in North America before white-nose syndrome was detected. However, unconfirmed reports from Europe indicated white fungal growth on hibernating bats without associated deaths. To investigate these differences, hibernating bats were sampled in Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary to determine whether G. destructans is present in Europe. Microscopic observations, fungal culture, and genetic analyses of 43 samples from 23 bats indicated that 21 bats of 5 species in 3 countries were colonized by G. destructans. We hypothesize that G. destructans is present throughout Europe and that bats in Europe may be more immunologically or behaviorally resistant to G. destructans than their congeners in North America because they potentially coevolved with the fungus.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Gudrun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wibbelt
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurth
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hellmann
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weishaar
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barlow
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veith
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prüger
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Görföl
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grosche
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bontadina
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zöphel
authors.forename: Hans Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Seidl
authors.forename: Hans Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Seidl
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Blehert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006605:Hibernation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer