Guest guest Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 what? they have fungus around their noses and basicly starve to death and they dont know the cause? lol's I know,I know, pick me. hummm, wondering if real time would do testing on dead bats for mycotoxins? anyone know? > > > > " The ailment †" named for the white circle of fungus found around the noses > of affected bats †" was first noticed last January in four caves west of > Albany " > " The bat die-off has some eerie similarities with " colony collapse > disorder, " the baffling affliction that began decimating honeybee colonies years ago. > Scientists last fall said they suspected a virus previously unknown in the > United States. " > By MICHAEL HILL, Associated Press Writer Wed Jan 30, 5:04 PM ET > > > ALBANY, N.Y. - Bats are dying off by the thousands as they hibernate in caves > and mines around New York and Vermont, sending researchers scrambling to > find the cause of mysterious condition dubbed " white nose syndrome. " > The ailment †" named for the white circle of fungus found around the noses of > affected bats †" was first noticed last January in four caves west of Albany. > It has now spread to eight hibernation sites in the state and another in > Vermont. > Alan Hicks, a bat specialist with New York's Department of Environmental > Conservation, called the quick-spreading disorder the " gravest threat " to bats > he had ever seen. Up to 11,000 bats were found dead last winter and many more > are showing signs illness this winter. One hard-hit cave went from more than > 15,000 bats two years ago to 1,500 now, he said. > " We do not know what the cause is and we do not know how it was spread, > either from cave to cave, or bat to bat, " said Hicks. " You have this potential > for this huge spread. " > The white fungus ring around bats' noses is a symptom, but not necessarily > the cause. For some unknown reason, the bats deplete their fat reserves and die > months before they would normally emerge from hibernation. > New York and Vermont environmental officials are asking people not to enter > caves or mines with bats until researchers figure out how the infection is > spread. There is no evidence it is a threat to humans, but officials want to > take every precaution to avoid it spreading from cave to cave. > Bats are considered particularly vulnerable when they hibernate, a time when > they can hang together tightly by the thousands. Indiana bats, a federally > endangered species, are considered particularly vulnerable, though the highest > death count has been among little brown bats. > Researchers with Cornell University and the National Wildlife Health Center > in Madison, Wis., are among those helping state environmental officials. > The bat die-off has some eerie similarities with " colony collapse disorder, " > the baffling affliction that began decimating honeybee colonies years ago. > Scientists last fall said they suspected a virus previously unknown in the > United States. > " I'm very concerned, " Hicks said. " I can only hope that what we're seeing > today will dissipate in the future. " > > > > **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. > http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise? NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 " Bats are considered particularly vulnerable when they hibernate, a time when > they can hang together tightly by the thousands " LOL there must be a fungus among us.... I know this is serious...just couldn't resist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 Obviously dead bodies immediately start to rot and feed major levels of fungi, bacteria. Many of which would produce mycotoxins. When dead bodies 'ripen' for a while, they also emit major amounts of VOCs.. so much that sometimes they explode. UGH.. But the fungal toxin composition of dead bat bodies after death would not necessarily tell us much about the environmental load on the bat before its death, except that the dead bodies of members of a colony that had collapsed, left to rot, might pose a very real threat to still healthy members for the reason that they would get moldy. Does that make sense? On Jan 31, 2008 12:56 PM, who <jeaninem660@...> wrote: > > > what? they have fungus around their noses and basicly starve to death > and they dont know the cause? lol's > I know,I know, pick me. hummm, wondering if real time would do > testing on dead bats for mycotoxins? anyone know? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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