ODNR officials confirm bat syndrome has reached Ohio

Special to the Vindicator

Photo

An infected bat hangs in Hall Cave Preserve in Huntingdon County, Pa. The white fungus on its face, ears and wings gives White-Nose Syndrome its name.

Staff report

White-nose Syndrome, a fatal syndrome targeting bats, has reached Ohio.

Officials with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife confirmed the first case in hibernating bats in an abandoned mine in Wayne National Forest in Lawrence County. The site has been gated and protected from public access as it is suspected that humans can carry the disease from cave to cave.

ODNR will continue to monitor Ohio bats in an effort to stop the spread.

The syndrome presents itself as a white fungus on the muzzles of bats. Scientists do not know of a cure or how to stop the spread.

Of the more than 1,300 bats hibernating at the Lawrence County mine, 69 percent were little brown bats, 21 percent were Indiana bats, 10 percent were tri-colored bats and there were smaller numbers of big brown bats and northern bats.

White-nose syndrome does not affect humans, but bats are an important part of the ecosystem and consume large amounts of insects, preventing damage to crops and spread of disease.