Published Date: 2008-02-20 15:00:15
Subject: PRO/AH> White-nose syndrome, bats - USA (02): (Northeast)
Archive Number: 20080220.0687

WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME, BATS - USA (02): (NORTHEAST)
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[1]
Date: Wed 20 Feb 2008 09:55:53 +0100
From: Gunnar Hasle <hasle@reiseklinikken.com>


Re: White-nose syndrome, bats - USA: (Northeast) 20080219.0675
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This sounds like an acute agranulocytosis, which may be caused by
_Anaplasma_ (ehrlichiosis). Ticks are proliferating in bat colonies.
An _Anaplasma_ PCR (polymerase chain reaction) on ticks and dead bats
should be performed.

--
Gunnar Hasle, MD
Reiseklinikken
St. Olavs plass 3
0165 Oslo
Norway
<hasle@reiseklinikken.com>

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[2]
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:31:07 -0500
From: Monir Taha <Monir.Taha@halton.ca>


Re: White-nose syndrome, bats - USA: (Northeast) 20080219.0675
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If the cause of bat white-nose syndrome is an infectious agent,
especially one that is spore forming, could the vector/vehicle be
humans such as cavers or bat researchers themselves?

In analogy, I have long wondered if researchers were an important
vector of the frog disease, chytridiomycosis, especially when remote
populations are involved. Some years ago, National Geographic
reported a story in which a researcher discovered a healthy, rare,
remote frog population only to return the next year to find it wiped
out by chytridiomycosis. The arrival of the parasitic fungus was
deemed mysterious, but the researcher or the researcher's clothing or
equipment could easily have been the culprit.

--
Monir Taha, MD, MHSc, CCFP, FCFP, FRCPC
Associate Medical Officer of Health
Halton Region Health Department
1151 Bronte Road
Oakville, Ontario L6M 3L1
Canada
<Monir.Taha@halton.ca>

[If you haven't been in a cave that is used by bats, you may be
blissfully unaware of the depth of guano (bat faeces) that
accumulates on the floor of the cave underneath their roosts. Many
years ago I visited a rabid bat cave near Mexico city. The guano was
10-foot (3 meters) deep and being mined for fertiliser.

In the mid-1960s I investigated a rabid bat incident in New Orleans
and found a Mexican free-tail bat colony in an old slave quarter in
the French Quarter in the city; it was positive for rabies and
histoplasma. I had to dig up through the ceiling to get to the roof
space and through a significant deposit of very odorous bat crap. So
grubby bat aficionados may well be a factor in the spread of this. On
the other hand bats will wander around from roost to roost.

Our thanks to Gunnar and Monir for their suggestions. - Mod.MHJ]

See Also

White-nose syndrome, bats - USA: (Northeast) 20080219.0675
Undiagnosed die-off, bat - USA: (NY,VT), RFI 20080131.0389
...................................mpp/mhj/mj/mpp

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