The National White-Nose Syndrome Decontamination Protocol

Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) is a fungus that causes White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) in hibernating bats. The fungus grows on the bats nose, wings and ears and is highly transmissible between bats and also by human-assisted transmission from cave to cave. Caving is becoming more popular, either from a scientific point of view or recreationally. The fungus is causing severe mortality within bat populations across the United States and eastern Canada. It was estimated in 2012 that 5.7-.6.7 million bats have died because of WNS, some species seeing mortality of up to 98%. This is raising concern over potential impacts this may have on ecosystems, such as insect control, pollination or seed dispersal. With no known cure, biosecurity must play a critical role in prevention.

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