LA JUNTA, CO — A deadly fungus that has killed millions of bats across North America was detected in Colorado for the first time.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed Monday that an adult female Yuma bat (Mytosis yumanesis) found at the end of March by staff at the Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site outside of La Junta, CO was found on the ground, unable to fly, and had a "white powdery" substance on the animal's forearms.
The bat was euthanized and sent to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center for testing. The tests found the bat had wing lesions characteristic of white-nose syndrome. The bat tested positive for Pseudogymnoascus destructans(Pd), the fungus that causes the disease.
While this is the first positive test of the fungus in Colorado, CPW has had the disease on its radar for a while. In the summer of 2022, the presence of the fungus was detected. A study then of 25 captured Yuma bats was done with none of them experiencing the white-nose syndrome.
“After the discovery of Pd last year, we expected this news was inevitable in a year or two, given the experience in other states as white-nose syndrome has spread westward,” said Tina Jackson, CPW Species Conservation Coordinator. “We’ve been monitoring for the fungus for a number of years and this is the same pattern seen in other states.”
MORE INFORMATION ON WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME
The presence of white-nose syndrome was first documented in the U.S. in 2006 in New York State. The fungus has since spread and has been confirmed in 12 North American bat species. With the most recent test coming in as positive the fungus is now prevalent in 39 different states.
The white-nose syndrome most commonly affects hibernating bats leading to often a quick death as bats begin to emerge in spring. The spread of the disease in Colorado could be devastating with 13 of the 19 species of native bats in Colorado being susceptible to the disease.
CPW says that any large kill-off event could lead to trouble for Colorado's ecosystem. Bats and other voracious insect-eating animals contribute an estimated $3 billion annually to the U.S. Agricultural economy through pest control.
SHOULD YOU BE CONCERNED?
The good news, the fungus does not spread and infect humans or pets. Bats are the primary spread of the fungus, but CPW says that it can spread on gear or clothing that has come in contact with contaminated environments.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
State and federal agencies in Colorado and around the U. S. are calling on outdoor enthusiasts to help them track the fungus and limit the fungus spread, below is a list of things these agencies are asking for people to be aware of:
● Stay out of closed caves and mines.
● Decontaminate footwear and all cave gear before and after visiting or touring caves and other places where bats live.
● Do not touch bats. Report dead or sick ones to CPW by calling 303-291-7771 or email wildlife.batline@state.co.us.
● Gear and clothing used in areas where Pd or WNS occurs should not be used in areas where Pd is not known to occur. White-Nose Syndrome (whitenosesyndrome.org)
● To avoid accidentally transporting bats, check canopies, umbrellas, and other outdoor items for any bats that may have roosted in a nook or cranny.
CPW says it is working with other state and federal agencies to continue to track the fungus and monitor the health of bat populations across the state.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME
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