White Nose Syndrome Continues to Inch Closer

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By Nick Hausen

Story Created: Jan 26, 2012 at 4:52 PM CST

Story Updated: Jan 26, 2012 at 8:46 PM CST

UNION COUNTY -- Caves across Illinois have been closed to visitors for a while now. That's because the disease known as White Nose Syndrome poses a threat to bats inside.

White Nose showed up in 2006 in New York, but by last year more than 5 million bats had died in states as far west as Okahoma.

The disease is a fungus that grows on the faces and wings of infected bats. The bats awaken from hibernation and starve to death through excessive activity and a lack of food.

The disease has devastated populations in the Northeast.

"In New York, and Vermont, and Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, where some of those hibernacles had up to 250,000 bats in them in the winter, 99 percent of them have died," says Wildlife Biologist Rod McClanahan.

White Nose has not been found in Illinois, but McClanahan says it's only a matter of time.

"The optimist part of me says maybe not for a couple of years, but the reality of it is, the way this thing has been moving so fast, it wouldn't surprise us if it showed up this winter," says McClanahan.

Losing large amounts of bats could pose a problem to humans too.

"So what we think we'll see is the insect populations will go up. That includes insects that are problems and pests to fruit tree, vegetables," says McClanahan.

Which is why biologists are searching for a solution

"Researchers are trying to go as fast as they can to figure out what's going on with the idea that maybe someday, they'll develop some way of medically treating bats to get rid of it," explains McClanahan.

Biologists say it's more likely the disease will spread across the country and only a small number of bats will survive.

The U.S. Forest Service says the public has been understanding about the cave closings.

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