1
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Krueger SK, Williams SC, O’Keefe JM, Zirkle GA, Haase CG. White-nose syndrome, winter duration, and pre-hibernation climate impact abundance of reproductive female bats. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298515. [PMID: 38669238 PMCID: PMC11051637 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an infectious disease that disrupts hibernation in bats, leading to premature exhaustion of fat stores. Though we know WNS does impact reproduction in hibernating female bats, we are unsure how these impacts are exacerbated by local climate factors. We compiled data from four southeastern U.S. states and used generalized linear mixed effects models to compare effects of WNS, pre-hibernation climate variables, and winter duration on the number of reproductive females in species across the range of WNS susceptibility. We predicted we would see a decline in the number of reproductive females in WNS-susceptible species, with the effect exaggerated by longer winter durations and pre-hibernation climate variables that lead to reductions in foraging. We found that the number of reproductive females in WNS-susceptible species was positively correlated with pre-hibernation local climate conditions conducive to foraging; however, WNS-susceptible species experienced an overall decline with the presence of WNS and as winter duration increased. Our long-term dataset provides evidence that pre-hibernation climate, specifically favorable summer weather conditions for foraging, greatly influences the reproduction, regardless of WNS status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K. Krueger
- Department of Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Sarah C. Williams
- Environmental Division, US Army Fort Campbell, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Joy M. O’Keefe
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Gene A. Zirkle
- Environmental Division, US Army Fort Campbell, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Catherine G. Haase
- Department of Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee, United States of America
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2
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Whiting-Fawcett F, Blomberg AS, Troitsky T, Meierhofer MB, Field KA, Puechmaille SJ, Lilley TM. A Palearctic view of a bat fungal disease. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14265. [PMID: 38616727 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The fungal infection causing white-nose disease in hibernating bats in North America has resulted in dramatic population declines of affected species, since the introduction of the causative agent Pseudogymnoascus destructans. The fungus is native to the Palearctic, where it also infects several bat species, yet rarely causes severe pathology or the death of the host. Pseudogymnoascus destructans infects bats during hibernation by invading and digesting the skin tissue, resulting in the disruption of torpor patterns and consequent emaciation. Relations among pathogen, host, and environment are complex, and individuals, populations, and species respond to the fungal pathogen in different ways. For example, the Nearctic Myotis lucifugus responds to infection by mounting a robust immune response, leading to immunopathology often contributing to mortality. In contrast, the Palearctic M. myotis shows no significant immunological response to infection. This lack of a strong response, resulting from the long coevolution between the hosts and the pathogen in the pathogen's native range, likely contributes to survival in tolerant species. After more than 15 years since the initial introduction of the fungus to North America, some of the affected populations are showing signs of recovery, suggesting that the fungus, hosts, or both are undergoing processes that may eventually lead to coexistence. The suggested or implemented management methods of the disease in North America have encompassed, for example, the use of probiotics and fungicides, vaccinations, and modifying the environmental conditions of the hibernation sites to limit the growth of the pathogen, intensity of infection, or the hosts' responses to it. Based on current knowledge from Eurasia, policy makers and conservation managers should refrain from disrupting the ongoing evolutionary processes and adopt a holistic approach to managing the epizootic.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Whiting-Fawcett
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A S Blomberg
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Troitsky
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - M B Meierhofer
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - K A Field
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - S J Puechmaille
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - T M Lilley
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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3
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Holmes IA, Durso AM, Myers CR, Hendry TA. Changes in capture availability due to infection can lead to detectable biases in population-level infectious disease parameters. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16910. [PMID: 38436008 PMCID: PMC10909344 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Correctly identifying the strength of selection that parasites impose on hosts is key to predicting epidemiological and evolutionary outcomes of host-parasite interactions. However, behavioral changes due to infection can alter the capture probability of infected hosts and thereby make selection difficult to estimate by standard sampling techniques. Mark-recapture approaches, which allow researchers to determine if some groups in a population are less likely to be captured than others, can be used to identify infection-driven capture biases. If a metric of interest directly compares infected and uninfected populations, calculated detection probabilities for both groups may be useful in identifying bias. Here, we use an individual-based simulation to test whether changes in capture rate due to infection can alter estimates of three key metrics: 1) reduction in the reproductive success of infected parents relative to uninfected parents, 2) the relative risk of infection for susceptible genotypes compared to resistant genotypes, and 3) changes in allele frequencies between generations. We explore the direction and underlying causes of the biases that emerge from these simulations. Finally, we argue that short series of mark-recapture sampling bouts, potentially implemented in under a week, can yield key data on detection bias due to infection while not adding a significantly higher burden to disease ecology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris A. Holmes
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Cornell Institute of Host Microbe Interactions and Disease, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Andrew M. Durso
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers, FL, USA
| | - Christopher R. Myers
- Center for Advanced Computing & Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Tory A. Hendry
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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4
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Ange-Stark M, Parise KL, Cheng TL, Hoyt JR, Langwig KE, Frick WF, Kilpatrick AM, Gillece J, MacManes MD, Foster JT. White-nose syndrome restructures bat skin microbiomes. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0271523. [PMID: 37888992 PMCID: PMC10714735 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02715-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Inherent complexities in the composition of microbiomes can often preclude investigations of microbe-associated diseases. Instead of single organisms being associated with disease, community characteristics may be more relevant. Longitudinal microbiome studies of the same individual bats as pathogens arrive and infect a population are the ideal experiment but remain logistically challenging; therefore, investigations like our approach that are able to correlate invasive pathogens to alterations within a microbiome may be the next best alternative. The results of this study potentially suggest that microbiome-host interactions may determine the likelihood of infection. However, the contrasting relationship between Pd and the bacterial microbiomes of Myotis lucifugus and Perimyotis subflavus indicate that we are just beginning to understand how the bat microbiome interacts with a fungal invader such as Pd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Ange-Stark
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Katy L. Parise
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Tina L. Cheng
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Joseph R. Hoyt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Kate E. Langwig
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Winifred F. Frick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - A. Marm Kilpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - John Gillece
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Matthew D. MacManes
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jeffrey T. Foster
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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5
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Hu B, Han S, He H. Effect of epidemic diseases on wild animal conservation. Integr Zool 2023; 18:963-980. [PMID: 37202360 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Under the background of global species extinction, the impact of epidemic diseases on wild animal protection is increasingly prominent. Here, we review and synthesize the literature on this topic, and discuss the relationship between diseases and biodiversity. Diseases usually reduce species diversity by decreasing or extinction of species populations, but also accelerate species evolution and promote species diversity. At the same time, species diversity can regulate disease outbreaks through dilution or amplification effects. The synergistic effect of human activities and global change is emphasized, which further aggravates the complex relationship between biodiversity and diseases. Finally, we emphasize the importance of active surveillance of wild animal diseases, which can protect wild animals from potential diseases, maintain population size and genetic variation, and reduce the damage of diseases to the balance of the whole ecosystem and human health. Therefore, we suggest that a background survey of wild animal populations and their pathogens should be carried out to assess the impact of potential outbreaks on the population or species level. The mechanism of dilution and amplification effect between species diversity and diseases of wild animals should be further studied to provide a theoretical basis and technical support for human intervention measures to change biodiversity. Most importantly, we should closely combine the protection of wild animals with the establishment of an active surveillance, prevention, and control system for wild animal epidemics, in an effort to achieve a win-win situation between wild animal protection and disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Hu
- National Research Center for Wildlife-Borne Diseases, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shuyi Han
- National Research Center for Wildlife-Borne Diseases, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongxuan He
- National Research Center for Wildlife-Borne Diseases, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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6
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Blejwas K, Beard L, Buchanan J, Lausen CL, Neubaum D, Tobin A, Weller TJ. COULD WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME MANIFEST DIFFERENTLY IN MYOTIS LUCIFUGUS IN WESTERN VERSUS EASTERN REGIONS OF NORTH AMERICA? A REVIEW OF FACTORS. J Wildl Dis 2023; 59:381-397. [PMID: 37270186 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
White-nose syndrome (WNS) has notably affected the abundance of Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis) in North America. Thus far, substantial mortality has been restricted to the eastern part of the continent where the cause of WNS, the invasive fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has infected bats since 2006. To date, the state of Washington is the only area in the Western US or Canada (the Rocky Mountains and further west in North America) with confirmed cases of WNS in bats, and there the disease has spread more slowly than it did in Eastern North America. Here, we review differences between M. lucifugus in western and eastern parts of the continent that may affect transmission, spread, and severity of WNS in the West and highlight important gaps in knowledge. We explore the hypothesis that western M. lucifugus may respond differently to WNS on the basis of different hibernation strategies, habitat use, and greater genetic structure. To document the effect of WNS on M. lucifugus in the West most effectively, we recommend focusing on maternity roosts for strategic disease surveillance and monitoring abundance. We further recommend continuing the challenging work of identifying hibernation and swarming sites to better understand the microclimates, microbial communities, and role in disease transmission of these sites, as well as the ecology and hibernation physiology of bats in noncavernous hibernacula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Blejwas
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, PO Box 110024, Juneau, Alaska 99811, USA
- Except for the first author, all others are listed in alphabetical order
| | - Laura Beard
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 260 Buena Vista, Lander, Wyoming 82520, USA
| | - Joseph Buchanan
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, PO Box 43200, Olympia, Washington 98501, USA
| | - Cori L Lausen
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, 202 B Avenue, Kaslo, British Columbia V0G 1M0, Canada
| | - Daniel Neubaum
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 711 Independent Ave., Grand Junction, Colorado 81507, USA
| | - Abigail Tobin
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, PO Box 43200, Olympia, Washington 98501, USA
| | - Theodore J Weller
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, 1700 Bayview Drive, Arcata, California 95521, USA
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7
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Sewall BJ, Turner GG, Scafini MR, Gagnon MF, Johnson JS, Keel MK, Anis E, Lilley TM, White JP, Hauer CL, Overton BE. Environmental control reduces white‐nose syndrome infection in hibernating bats. Anim Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- B. J. Sewall
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
| | | | | | - M. F. Gagnon
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
| | - J. S. Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences Ohio University Athens OH USA
- School of Information Technology University of Cincinnati Cincinnati OH USA
| | - M. K. Keel
- School of Veterinary Medicine University of California Davis CA USA
| | - E. Anis
- Department of Pathobiology University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center Kennett Square PA USA
| | - T. M. Lilley
- Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - J. P. White
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Madison WI USA
| | - C. L. Hauer
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
| | - B. E. Overton
- Department of Biology Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Lock Haven PA USA
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8
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Simonis MC, Hartzler LK, Turner GG, Scafini MR, Johnson JS, Rúa MA. Long‐term exposure to an invasive fungal pathogen decreases
Eptesicus fuscus
body mass with increasing latitude. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Molly C. Simonis
- Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
| | - Lynn K. Hartzler
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
| | - Gregory G. Turner
- Bureau of Wildlife Management Pennsylvania Game Commission Harrisburg Pennsylvania USA
| | - Michael R. Scafini
- Bureau of Wildlife Management Pennsylvania Game Commission Harrisburg Pennsylvania USA
| | - Joseph S. Johnson
- School of Information Technology University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio USA
| | - Megan A. Rúa
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
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9
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Wilber MQ, Knapp RA, Smith TC, Briggs CJ. Host density has limited effects on pathogen invasion, disease-induced declines and within-host infection dynamics across a landscape of disease. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:2451-2464. [PMID: 36285540 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
1. Host density is hypothesized to be a major driver of variability in the responses and outcomes of wildlife populations following pathogen invasion. While the effects of host density on pathogen transmission have been extensively studied, these studies are dominated by theoretical analyses and small-scale experiments. This focus leads to an incomplete picture regarding how host density drives observed variability in disease outcomes in the field. 2. Here, we leveraged a dataset of hundreds of replicate amphibian populations that varied by orders of magnitude in host density. We used these data to test the effects of host density on three outcomes following the arrival of the amphibian-killing fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd): the probability that Bd successfully invaded a host population and led to a pathogen outbreak, the magnitude of the host population-level decline following an outbreak and within-host infection dynamics that drive population-level outcomes in amphibian-pathogen systems. 3. Based on previous small-scale transmission experiments, we expected that populations with higher densities would be more likely to experience Bd outbreaks and would suffer larger proportional declines following outbreaks. To test these predictions, we developed and fitted a Hidden Markov Model that accounted for imperfectly observed disease outbreak states in the amphibian populations we surveyed. 4. Contrary to our predictions, we found minimal effects of host density on the probability of successful Bd invasion, the magnitude of population decline following Bd invasion and the dynamics of within-host infection intensity. Environmental conditions, such as summer temperature, winter severity and the presence of pathogen reservoirs, were more predictive of variability in disease outcomes. 5. Our results highlight the limitations of extrapolating findings from small-scale transmission experiments to observed disease trajectories in the field and provide strong evidence that variability in host density does not necessarily drive variability in host population responses following pathogen arrival. In an applied context, we show that feedbacks between host density and disease will not necessarily affect the success of reintroduction efforts in amphibian-Bd systems of conservation concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Q Wilber
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Roland A Knapp
- Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory, University of California, Mammoth Lakes, California, USA
| | - Thomas C Smith
- Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory, University of California, Mammoth Lakes, California, USA
| | - Cheryl J Briggs
- Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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10
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Rojas VG, Loeb SC, O'Keefe JM. Applying mobile acoustic surveys to model bat habitat use across sinuous routes. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa G. Rojas
- Center for Bat Research, Outreach, and Conservation Indiana State University 600 Chestnut Street Terre Haute IN 47809 USA
| | - Susan C. Loeb
- United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southern Research Station, 233 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson University Clemson SC 29634 USA
| | - Joy M. O'Keefe
- Center for Bat Research, Outreach, and Conservation Indiana State University 600 Chestnut Street Terre Haute IN 47809 USA
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11
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Cook JD, Williams DM, Porter WF, Christensen SA. Improved predictions and forecasts of chronic wasting disease occurrence using multiple mechanism dynamic occupancy modeling. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D. Cook
- Michigan State University 480 Wilson Road East Lansing MI 48823 USA
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12
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Grisnik M, Grinath JB, Munafo JP, Walker DM. Functional Redundancy in Bat Microbial Assemblage in the Presence of the White Nose Pathogen. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02098-2. [PMID: 35953677 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02098-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how host-associated microbial assemblages respond to pathogen invasion has implications for host health. Until recently, most investigations have focused on understanding the taxonomic composition of these assemblages. However, recent studies have suggested that microbial assemblage taxonomic composition is decoupled from its function, with assemblages being taxonomically varied but functionally constrained. The objective of this investigation was to understand how the Tri-colored bat, Perimyotis subflavus cutaneous microbial assemblage responds to fungal pathogen invasion within a functional context. We hypothesized that at a broad scale (e.g., KEGG pathways), there will be no difference in the functional assemblages between the white nose pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, positive and negative bats; and this pattern will be driven by the functional redundancy of bacterial taxa. At finer scales (e.g., gene models), we postulate differences in function attributed to interactions between bacteria and P. destructans, resulting in the production of antifungal metabolites. To test this, we used a combination of shotgun metagenomic and amplicon sequencing to characterize the bat cutaneous microbial assemblage in the presence/absence of P. destructans. Results showed that while there was a shift in taxonomic assemblage composition between P. destructans positive and negative bats, there was little overall difference in microbial function. Functional redundancy across bacterial taxa was clear at a broad-scale; however, both redundancy and variation in bacterial capability related to defense against pathogens was evident at finer scales. While functionality of the microbial assemblage was largely conserved in relation to P. destructans, the roles of particular functional pathways in resistance to fungal pathogens require further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Grisnik
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA.
| | - Joshua B Grinath
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, 83209, USA
| | - John P Munafo
- Department of Food Science, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Donald M Walker
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA
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13
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Mammola S, Meierhofer MB, Borges PA, Colado R, Culver DC, Deharveng L, Delić T, Di Lorenzo T, Dražina T, Ferreira RL, Fiasca B, Fišer C, Galassi DMP, Garzoli L, Gerovasileiou V, Griebler C, Halse S, Howarth FG, Isaia M, Johnson JS, Komerički A, Martínez A, Milano F, Moldovan OT, Nanni V, Nicolosi G, Niemiller ML, Pallarés S, Pavlek M, Piano E, Pipan T, Sanchez‐Fernandez D, Santangeli A, Schmidt SI, Wynne JJ, Zagmajster M, Zakšek V, Cardoso P. Towards evidence-based conservation of subterranean ecosystems. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1476-1510. [PMID: 35315207 PMCID: PMC9545027 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Subterranean ecosystems are among the most widespread environments on Earth, yet we still have poor knowledge of their biodiversity. To raise awareness of subterranean ecosystems, the essential services they provide, and their unique conservation challenges, 2021 and 2022 were designated International Years of Caves and Karst. As these ecosystems have traditionally been overlooked in global conservation agendas and multilateral agreements, a quantitative assessment of solution-based approaches to safeguard subterranean biota and associated habitats is timely. This assessment allows researchers and practitioners to understand the progress made and research needs in subterranean ecology and management. We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature focused on subterranean ecosystems globally (terrestrial, freshwater, and saltwater systems), to quantify the available evidence-base for the effectiveness of conservation interventions. We selected 708 publications from the years 1964 to 2021 that discussed, recommended, or implemented 1,954 conservation interventions in subterranean ecosystems. We noted a steep increase in the number of studies from the 2000s while, surprisingly, the proportion of studies quantifying the impact of conservation interventions has steadily and significantly decreased in recent years. The effectiveness of 31% of conservation interventions has been tested statistically. We further highlight that 64% of the reported research occurred in the Palearctic and Nearctic biogeographic regions. Assessments of the effectiveness of conservation interventions were heavily biased towards indirect measures (monitoring and risk assessment), a limited sample of organisms (mostly arthropods and bats), and more accessible systems (terrestrial caves). Our results indicate that most conservation science in the field of subterranean biology does not apply a rigorous quantitative approach, resulting in sparse evidence for the effectiveness of interventions. This raises the important question of how to make conservation efforts more feasible to implement, cost-effective, and long-lasting. Although there is no single remedy, we propose a suite of potential solutions to focus our efforts better towards increasing statistical testing and stress the importance of standardising study reporting to facilitate meta-analytical exercises. We also provide a database summarising the available literature, which will help to build quantitative knowledge about interventions likely to yield the greatest impacts depending upon the subterranean species and habitats of interest. We view this as a starting point to shift away from the widespread tendency of recommending conservation interventions based on anecdotal and expert-based information rather than scientific evidence, without quantitatively testing their effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe)Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of HelsinkiPohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13Helsinki00100Finland
- Molecular Ecology Group (dark‐MEG)Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR)Largo Tonolli, 50Verbania‐Pallanza28922Italy
| | - Melissa B. Meierhofer
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus (LUOMUS)University of HelsinkiPohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13Helsinki00100Finland
| | - Paulo A.V. Borges
- cE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group / CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of Azores, Faculty of Agrarian Sciences and Environment (FCAA), Rua Capitão João d'ÀvilaPico da Urze, 9700‐042 Angra do HeroísmoAzoresPortugal
| | - Raquel Colado
- Departament of Ecology and HidrologyUniversity of MurciaMurcia30100Spain
| | - David C. Culver
- Department of Environmental ScienceAmerican University4400 Massachusetts Avenue, N.WWashingtonDC20016U.S.A.
| | - Louis Deharveng
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), CNRS UMR 7205, MNHN, UPMC, EPHEMuseum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
| | - Teo Delić
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaJamnikarjeva 101Ljubljana1000Slovenia
| | - Tiziana Di Lorenzo
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET‐CNR), National Research CouncilVia Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto FiorentinoFlorenceItaly
| | - Tvrtko Dražina
- Division of Zoology, Department of BiologyFaculty of Science, University of ZagrebRooseveltov Trg 6Zagreb10000Croatia
- Croatian Biospeleological SocietyRooseveltov Trg 6Zagreb10000Croatia
| | - Rodrigo L. Ferreira
- Center of Studies in Subterranean Biology, Biology Department, Federal University of LavrasCampus universitário s/n, Aquenta SolLavrasMG37200‐900Brazil
| | - Barbara Fiasca
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental SciencesUniversity of L'AquilaVia Vetoio 1, CoppitoL'Aquila67100Italy
| | - Cene Fišer
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaJamnikarjeva 101Ljubljana1000Slovenia
| | - Diana M. P. Galassi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental SciencesUniversity of L'AquilaVia Vetoio 1, CoppitoL'Aquila67100Italy
| | - Laura Garzoli
- Molecular Ecology Group (dark‐MEG)Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR)Largo Tonolli, 50Verbania‐Pallanza28922Italy
| | - Vasilis Gerovasileiou
- Department of Environment, Faculty of EnvironmentIonian University, M. Minotou‐Giannopoulou strPanagoulaZakynthos29100Greece
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Marine BiologyBiotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC)Thalassocosmos, GournesCrete71500Greece
| | - Christian Griebler
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Division of LimnologyUniversity of ViennaDjerassiplatz 1Vienna1030Austria
| | - Stuart Halse
- Bennelongia Environmental Consultants5 Bishop StreetJolimontWA6014Australia
| | | | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TurinVia Accademia Albertina, 13TorinoI‐10123Italy
| | - Joseph S. Johnson
- Department of Biological SciencesOhio University57 Oxbow TrailAthensOH45701U.S.A.
| | - Ana Komerički
- Croatian Biospeleological SocietyRooseveltov Trg 6Zagreb10000Croatia
| | - Alejandro Martínez
- Molecular Ecology Group (dark‐MEG)Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR)Largo Tonolli, 50Verbania‐Pallanza28922Italy
| | - Filippo Milano
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TurinVia Accademia Albertina, 13TorinoI‐10123Italy
| | - Oana T. Moldovan
- Emil Racovita Institute of SpeleologyClinicilor 5Cluj‐Napoca400006Romania
- Romanian Institute of Science and TechnologySaturn 24‐26Cluj‐Napoca400504Romania
| | - Veronica Nanni
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TurinVia Accademia Albertina, 13TorinoI‐10123Italy
| | - Giuseppe Nicolosi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TurinVia Accademia Albertina, 13TorinoI‐10123Italy
| | - Matthew L. Niemiller
- Department of Biological SciencesThe University of Alabama in Huntsville301 Sparkman Drive NWHuntsvilleAL35899U.S.A.
| | - Susana Pallarés
- Departamento de Biogeografía y Cambio GlobalMuseo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSICCalle de José Gutiérrez Abascal 2Madrid28006Spain
| | - Martina Pavlek
- Croatian Biospeleological SocietyRooseveltov Trg 6Zagreb10000Croatia
- Ruđer Bošković InstituteBijenička cesta 54Zagreb10000Croatia
| | - Elena Piano
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TurinVia Accademia Albertina, 13TorinoI‐10123Italy
| | - Tanja Pipan
- ZRC SAZUKarst Research InstituteNovi trg 2Ljubljana1000Slovenia
- UNESCO Chair on Karst EducationUniversity of Nova GoricaGlavni trg 8Vipava5271Slovenia
| | | | - Andrea Santangeli
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research ProgrammeUniversity of HelsinkiViikinkaari 1Helsinki00014Finland
| | - Susanne I. Schmidt
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CASNa Sádkách 702/7České Budějovice370 05Czech Republic
- Department of Lake ResearchHelmholtz Centre for Environmental ResearchBrückstraße 3aMagdeburg39114Germany
| | - J. Judson Wynne
- Department of Biological SciencesCenter for Adaptable Western Landscapes, Box 5640, Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffAZ86011U.S.A.
| | - Maja Zagmajster
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaJamnikarjeva 101Ljubljana1000Slovenia
| | - Valerija Zakšek
- SubBio Lab, Department of Biology, Biotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaJamnikarjeva 101Ljubljana1000Slovenia
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe)Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of HelsinkiPohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13Helsinki00100Finland
- cE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group / CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of Azores, Faculty of Agrarian Sciences and Environment (FCAA), Rua Capitão João d'ÀvilaPico da Urze, 9700‐042 Angra do HeroísmoAzoresPortugal
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Grider J, Thogmartin WE, Campbell Grant EH, Bernard RF, Russell RE. Early Treatment of White‐nose Syndrome is Necessary to Stop Population Decline. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John Grider
- Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
| | - Wayne E. Thogmartin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center La Crosse WI USA
| | - Evan H. Campbell Grant
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center – Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, S. O. Conte Anadromous Research Laboratory Turners Falls
| | - Riley F. Bernard
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Pennsylvania State University PA USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, S. O. Conte Anadromous Research Laboratory Turners Falls
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15
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Jackson RT, Willcox EV, Zobel JM, Bernard RF. Emergence activity at hibernacula differs among four bat species affected by white-nose syndrome. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9113. [PMID: 35845385 PMCID: PMC9277409 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior to the introduction of white-nose syndrome (WNS) to North America, temperate bats were thought to remain within hibernacula throughout most of the winter. However, recent research has shown that bats in the southeastern United States emerge regularly from hibernation and are active on the landscape, regardless of their WNS status. The relationship between winter activity and susceptibility to WNS has yet to be explored but warrants attention, as it may enable managers to implement targeted management for WNS-affected species. We investigated this relationship by implanting 1346 passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in four species that vary in their susceptibility to WNS. Based on PIT-tag detections, three species entered hibernation from late October to early November. Bats were active at hibernacula entrances on days when midpoint temperatures ranged from -1.94 to 22.78°C (mean midpoint temperature = 8.70 ± 0.33°C). Eastern small-footed bats (Myotis leibii), a species with low susceptibility to WNS, were active throughout winter, with a significant decrease in activity in mid-hibernation (December 16 to February 15). Tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), a species that is highly susceptible to WNS, exhibited an increase in activity beginning in mid-hibernation and extending through late hibernation (February 16 to March 31). Indiana bats (M. sodalis), a species determined to have a medium-high susceptibility to WNS, remained on the landscape into early hibernation (November 1 to December 15), after which we did not record any again until the latter portion of mid-hibernation. Finally, gray bats (M. grisescens), another species with low susceptibility to WNS, maintained low but regular levels of activity throughout winter. Given these results, we determined that emergence activity from hibernacula during winter is highly variable among bat species and our data will assist wildlife managers to make informed decisions regarding the timing of implementation of species-specific conservation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reilly T. Jackson
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of ArkansasFayettevilleArkansasUSA
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and FisheriesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Emma V. Willcox
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and FisheriesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - John M. Zobel
- Department of Forest ResourcesUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Riley F. Bernard
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and FisheriesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
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16
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Loeb SC, Winters EA. Changes in hibernating tricolored bat ( Perimyotis subflavus) roosting behavior in response to white-nose syndrome. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9045. [PMID: 35822112 PMCID: PMC9259850 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding animals' behavioral and physiological responses to pathogenic diseases is critical for management and conservation. One such disease, white-nose syndrome (WNS), has greatly affected bat populations throughout eastern North America leading to significant population declines in several species. Although tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) populations have experienced significant declines, little research has been conducted on their responses to the disease, particularly in the southeastern United States. Our objective was to document changes in tricolored bat roost site use after the appearance of WNS in a hibernaculum in the southeastern U.S. and relate these to microsite temperatures, ambient conditions, and population trends. We censused a tricolored bat hibernaculum in northwestern South Carolina, USA, once each year between February 26 and March 2, 2014-2021, and recorded species, section of the tunnel, distance from the entrance, and wall temperature next to each bat. The number of tricolored bats in the hibernaculum dropped by 90.3% during the first 3 years after the arrival of WNS. However, numbers stabilized and slightly increased from 2018 to 2021. Prior to the arrival of WNS, 95.6% of tricolored bats roosted in the back portion of the tunnel that was the warmest. After the arrival of WNS, we observed a significant increase in the proportion of bats using the front, colder portions of the tunnel, particularly during the period of population stabilization and increase. Roost temperatures of bats were also positively associated with February external temperatures. Our results suggest that greater use of the colder sections of the tunnel by tricolored bats could have led to increased survival due to slower growth rates of the fungus that causes WNS in colder temperatures or decreased energetic costs associated with colder hibernation temperatures. Thus, management actions that provide cold hibernacula may be an option for long-term management of hibernacula, particularly in southern regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C. Loeb
- U.S. Forest ServiceSouthern Research StationClemsonSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Eric A. Winters
- U.S. Forest ServiceSouthern Research StationClemsonSouth CarolinaUSA
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17
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Unique Land Cover Classification to Assess Day-Roost Habitat Selection of Northern Long-Eared Bats on the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, USA. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13050792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Reproductively successful and over-wintering populations of the endangered northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) have recently been discovered on the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. Empirical data on resource selection within the region is limited, likely hindering management of these coastal forests. Our objectives were to determine roosting home range size, selection of day-roost tree species, second- and third-order roosting habitat selection, and to quantify the overall availability of resources in the surrounding landscape. We found core and peripheral roosting home range estimates were large, yet similar to observations from other areas of contiguous forests. Prior to juvenile volancy, female northern long-eared bats appear to select red maple (Acer rubrum), water ash (Fraxinus caroliniana), and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) as day-roosts, but then use sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), swamp bay (Persea palustris), and water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) after juvenile volancy. At the second-order spatial scale, roosting home ranges were associated with woody wetlands farther from anthropogenic development and open water. However, within the third-order scale, northern long-eared bats were associated with undeveloped woody wetlands and upland forests, areas containing shorter trees and occurring proximal to open water. Peripheral and core areas were predicted to comprise approximately 20% of the local landscape. Our results show that complex and large tracts of woody wetlands juxtaposed with upland forests in this part of the Coastal Plain may be important for northern long-eared bats locally, results largely consistent with species management efforts in eastern North America.
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Winter torpor expression varies in four bat species with differential susceptibility to white-nose syndrome. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5688. [PMID: 35383238 PMCID: PMC8983705 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09692-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies examining the overwintering behaviors of North American hibernating bats are limited to a handful of species. We deployed temperature-sensitive transmitters on four species of bat that exhibit differences in their susceptibility to white nose syndrome (WNS; Myotis grisescens, M. leibii, M. sodalis, and Perimyotis subflavus) to determine if these differences are correlated with behavior exhibited during hibernation (i.e., torpor expression and arousal frequency). Mean torpor skin temperature (Tsk) and torpor bout duration varied significantly among species (P ≤ 0.024), but arousal Tsk and duration did not (P ≥ 0.057). One of the species with low susceptibility to WNS, M. leibii, had significantly shorter torpor bout durations (37.67 ± 26.89 h) than M. sodalis (260.67 ± 41.33 h), the species with medium susceptibility to WNS. Myotis leibii also had significantly higher torpor Tsk (18.57 °C ± 0.20) than M. grisescens (13.33 °C ± 0.60), a second species with low WNS susceptibility. The high susceptibility species, Perimyotis subflavus, exhibited low torpor Tsk (14.42 °C ± 0.36) but short torpor bouts (72.36 ± 32.16 h). We demonstrate that the four cavernicolous species examined exhibit a wide range in torpid skin temperature and torpor bout duration. Information from this study may improve WNS management in multispecies hibernacula or individual species management by providing insight into how some species may differ in their techniques for overwinter survival.
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Host microbiome responses to the Snake Fungal Disease pathogen (Ophidiomyces ophidiicola) are driven by changes in microbial richness. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3078. [PMID: 35197501 PMCID: PMC8866498 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07042-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dermatophytic pathogens are a source of disturbance to the host microbiome, but the temporal progression of these disturbances is unclear. Here, we determined how Snake Fungal Disease, caused by Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, resulted in disturbance to the host microbiome. To assess disease effects on the microbiome, 22 Common Watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon) were collected and half were inoculated with O. ophidiicola. Epidermal swabs were collected weekly for use in microbiome and pathogen load characterization. For the inoculated treatment only, we found a significant effect of disease progression on microbial richness and Shannon diversity consistent with the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. When explicitly accounting for differences in assemblage richness, we found that β-diversity among snakes was significantly affected by the interaction of time and treatment group, with assemblages becoming more dissimilar across time in the inoculated, but not the control group. Also, differences between treatments in average microbiome composition became greater with time, but this interactive effect was not evident when accounting for assemblage richness. These results suggest that changes in composition of the host microbiome associated with disease largely occur due to changes in microbial richness related to disease progression.
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White JA, Freeman PW, Shehan MI, Lemen CA. Decline of the Northern Long-Eared Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) in the Eastern Great Plains After the Arrival of White-Nose Syndrome. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2022. [DOI: 10.3398/064.082.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy A. White
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182
| | - Patricia W. Freeman
- School of Natural Resources and University of Nebraska State Museum, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 401 Hardin Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0974
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21
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An Updated Review of Hypotheses Regarding Bat Attraction to Wind Turbines. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12030343. [PMID: 35158666 PMCID: PMC8833423 DOI: 10.3390/ani12030343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Patterns of bat activity and mortalities at wind energy facilities suggest that bats are attracted to wind turbines based on bat behavioral responses to wind turbines. For example, current monitoring efforts suggest that bat activity increases post-wind turbine construction, with bats making multiple passes near wind turbines. We separated the attraction hypothesis into five previously proposed explanations of bat interactions at or near wind turbines, including attraction based on noise, roost sites, foraging and water, mating behavior, and lights, and one new hypothesis regarding olfaction, and provide a state of the knowledge in 2022. Our review indicates that future research should prioritize attraction based on social behaviors, such as mating and scent-marking, as this aspect of the attraction hypothesis has many postulates and remains the most unclear. Relatively more data regarding attraction to wind turbines based on lighting and noise emission exist, and these data indicate that these are unlikely attractants. Analyzing attraction at the species-level should be prioritized because of differences in foraging, flight, and social behavior among bat species. Lastly, research assessing bat attraction at various scales, such as the turbine or facility scale, is lacking, which could provide important insights for both wind turbine siting decisions and bat mortality minimization strategies. Identifying the causes of bat interactions with wind turbines is critical for developing effective impact minimization strategies.
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22
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Experimental inoculation trial to determine the effects of temperature and humidity on White-nose Syndrome in hibernating bats. Sci Rep 2022; 12:971. [PMID: 35046462 PMCID: PMC8770465 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04965-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease results from interactions among the host, pathogen, and environment. Inoculation trials can quantify interactions among these players and explain aspects of disease ecology to inform management in variable and dynamic natural environments. White-nose Syndrome, a disease caused by the fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), has caused severe population declines of several bat species in North America. We conducted the first experimental infection trial on the tri-colored bat, Perimyotis subflavus, to test the effect of temperature and humidity on disease severity. We also tested the effects of temperature and humidity on fungal growth and persistence on substrates. Unexpectedly, only 37% (35/95) of bats experimentally inoculated with Pd at the start of the experiment showed any infection response or disease symptoms after 83 days of captive hibernation. There was no evidence that temperature or humidity influenced infection response. Temperature had a strong effect on fungal growth on media plates, but the influence of humidity was more variable and uncertain. Designing laboratory studies to maximize research outcomes would be beneficial given the high costs of such efforts and potential for unexpected outcomes. Understanding the influence of microclimates on host-pathogen interactions remains an important consideration for managing wildlife diseases, particularly in variable environments.
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Cable AB, Willcox EV, Leppanen C. Contaminant exposure as an additional stressor to bats affected by white-nose syndrome: current evidence and knowledge gaps. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 31:12-23. [PMID: 34625892 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-021-02475-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bats are exposed to numerous threats including pollution and emerging diseases. In North America, the fungal disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) has caused declines in many bat species. While the mechanisms of WNS have received considerable research attention, possible influences of contaminants have not. Herein, we review what is known about contaminant exposure and toxicity for four species whose populations have been severely affected by WNS (Myotis sodalis, M. septentrionalis, M. lucifugus, and Perimyotis subflavus) and identify temporal and spatial data gaps. We determine that there is limited information about the effects of contaminants on bats, and many compounds that have been detected in these bat species have yet to be evaluated for toxicity. The four species examined were exposed to a wide variety of contaminants; however, large spatial and knowledge gaps limit our ability to evaluate if contaminants contribute to species-level declines and if contaminant exposure exacerbates infection by WNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh B Cable
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, USA
| | - Emma V Willcox
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, USA.
| | - Christy Leppanen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 569 Dabney Hall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, USA
- The Center for Tobacco Products, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993-0002, USA
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24
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Perea S, Yearout JA, Ferrall EA, Morris KM, Pynne JT, Castleberry SB. Seven-year impact of white-nose syndrome on tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) populations in Georgia, USA. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2022. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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25
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Hale AM, Hein CD, Straw BR. Acoustic and Genetic Data Can Reduce Uncertainty Regarding Populations of Migratory Tree-Roosting Bats Impacted by Wind Energy. Animals (Basel) 2021; 12:81. [PMID: 35011186 PMCID: PMC8749617 DOI: 10.3390/ani12010081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Wind turbine-related mortality may pose a population-level threat for migratory tree-roosting bats, such as the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) in North America. These species are dispersed within their range, making it impractical to estimate census populations size using traditional survey methods. Nonetheless, understanding population size and trends is essential for evaluating and mitigating risk from wind turbine mortality. Using various sampling techniques, including systematic acoustic sampling and genetic analyses, we argue that building a weight of evidence regarding bat population status and trends is possible to (1) assess the sustainability of mortality associated with wind turbines; (2) determine the level of mitigation required; and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation measures to ensure population viability for these species. Long-term, systematic data collection remains the most viable option for reducing uncertainty regarding population trends for migratory tree-roosting bats. We recommend collecting acoustic data using the statistically robust North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) protocols and that genetic diversity is monitored at repeated time intervals to show species trends. There are no short-term actions to resolve these population-level questions; however, we discuss opportunities for relatively short-term investments that will lead to long-term success in reducing uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M. Hale
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA
| | - Cris D. Hein
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Arvada, CO 80007, USA;
| | - Bethany R. Straw
- Fort Collins Science Center, U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA;
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26
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Edwards PD, Boonstra R, Bosson CO, Jane Harms N, Kukka PM, Willis CKR, Jung TS. Effects of capture on stress-axis measures in endangered little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus). J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) are a widely distributed species in North America that have been decimated by the fungal disease white-nose syndrome. As such, little brown bats are the focus of monitoring and research initiatives that often include capturing and handling free-ranging individuals. We examined the stress response of 198 adult female little brown bats after being captured from three bat houses, during the summer. Our objective was to inform best practices to researchers capturing and handling bats in the wild. We compared the stress response among bats held for <3 min (baseline), 15–30 min, or >30 min, and then among bats held alone or in a group with conspecifics. We measured the levels of plasma total and free cortisol, maximum corticosteroid binding capacity (MCBC), and blood glucose. Relative to baseline, total and free cortisol levels were significantly higher in bats held for 15–30 min and higher still in those held for > 30 min. Blood glucose levels were elevated after >30 min of holding. MCBC levels showed no differences among holding times. We detected a weak effect of social holding condition, with solitary-held bats having lower total cortisol levels than group-held bats, but MCBC, free cortisol, and blood glucose levels showed no effect of social holding condition. Our findings demonstrate that capture time should be minimized and suggest that little brown bats should be handled and released within 30 min of capture as means of reducing stress. Further, solitary holding did not appear to increase stress measures, which supports holding bats individually after capture, instead of in groups, to reduce risk of pathogen and parasite transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe D Edwards
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Curtis O Bosson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - N Jane Harms
- Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, YT, Canada
| | - Piia M Kukka
- Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, YT, Canada
| | - Craig K R Willis
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Thomas S Jung
- Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, YT, Canada
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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27
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Balzer EW, Grottoli AD, Phinney LJ, Burns LE, Vanderwolf KJ, Broders HG. Capture Rate Declines of Northern Myotis in the Canadian Maritimes. WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Evan W. Balzer
- University of Waterloo 200 University Avenue West Waterloo ON N2L 3G2 Canada
| | - Adam D. Grottoli
- University of Waterloo 200 University Avenue West Waterloo ON N2L 3G2 Canada
| | - Lori J. Phinney
- University of Waterloo 200 University Avenue West Waterloo ON N2L 3G2 Canada
| | - Lynne E. Burns
- Environment and Climate Change Canada 11455 Saskatchewan Avenue Edmonton AB T6G 2E9 Canada
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Cheng TL, Reichard JD, Coleman JTH, Weller TJ, Thogmartin WE, Reichert BE, Bennett AB, Broders HG, Campbell J, Etchison K, Feller DJ, Geboy R, Hemberger T, Herzog C, Hicks AC, Houghton S, Humber J, Kath JA, King RA, Loeb SC, Massé A, Morris KM, Niederriter H, Nordquist G, Perry RW, Reynolds RJ, Sasse DB, Scafini MR, Stark RC, Stihler CW, Thomas SC, Turner GG, Webb S, Westrich BJ, Frick WF. The scope and severity of white-nose syndrome on hibernating bats in North America. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1586-1597. [PMID: 33877716 PMCID: PMC8518069 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the scope and severity of threats is necessary for evaluating impacts on populations to inform conservation planning. Quantitative threat assessment often requires monitoring programs that provide reliable data over relevant spatial and temporal scales, yet such programs can be difficult to justify until there is an apparent stressor. Leveraging efforts of wildlife management agencies to record winter counts of hibernating bats, we collated data for 5 species from over 200 sites across 27 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces from 1995 to 2018 to determine the impact of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a deadly disease of hibernating bats. We estimated declines of winter counts of bat colonies at sites where the invasive fungus that causes WNS (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) had been detected to assess the threat impact of WNS. Three species undergoing species status assessment by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Myotis septentrionalis, Myotis lucifugus, and Perimyotis subflavus) declined by more than 90%, which warrants classifying the severity of the WNS threat as extreme based on criteria used by NatureServe. The scope of the WNS threat as defined by NatureServe criteria was large (36% of Myotis lucifugus range) to pervasive (79% of Myotis septentrionalis range) for these species. Declines for 2 other species (Myotis sodalis and Eptesicus fuscus) were less severe but still qualified as moderate to serious based on NatureServe criteria. Data-sharing across jurisdictions provided a comprehensive evaluation of scope and severity of the threat of WNS and indicated regional differences that can inform response efforts at international, national, and state or provincial jurisdictions. We assessed the threat impact of an emerging infectious disease by uniting monitoring efforts across jurisdictional boundaries and demonstrated the importance of coordinated monitoring programs, such as the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat), for data-driven conservation assessments and planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina L. Cheng
- Bat Conservation International500 North Capital of Texas Highway, Building 1AustinTX78746U.S.A.
| | - Jonathan D. Reichard
- Ecological ServicesU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service300 Westgate Center DriveHadleyMA01035U.S.A.
| | - Jeremy T. H. Coleman
- Ecological ServicesU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service300 Westgate Center DriveHadleyMA01035U.S.A.
| | - Theodore J. Weller
- Pacific Southwest Research StationU.S. Department of Agriculture1700 Bayview DriveArcataCA95521U.S.A.
| | - Wayne E. Thogmartin
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences CenterU.S. Geological Survey2630 Fanta Reed RoadLa CrosseWI54601U.S.A.
| | - Brian E. Reichert
- Fort Collins Science CenterU.S. Geological Survey2150 Centre AvenueFort CollinsCO80526U.S.A.
| | - Alyssa B. Bennett
- Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife111 West St.Essex JunctionVT05452U.S.A.
| | | | - Joshua Campbell
- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency5107 Edmonson PikeNashvilleTN37211U.S.A.
| | | | - Daniel J. Feller
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources580 Taylor Ave.FrostburgMD21401U.S.A.
| | - Richard Geboy
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service520 S. Walker St.BloomingtonIN47403U.S.A.
| | - Traci Hemberger
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources1 Sportsman's Ln.FrankfortKY40601U.S.A.
| | - Carl Herzog
- New York Department of Environmental Conservation625 BroadwayAlbanyNY12233U.S.A.
| | - Alan C. Hicks
- New York Department of Environmental Conservation625 BroadwayAlbanyNY12233U.S.A.
| | | | - Jessica Humber
- NL Wildlife DivisionGovernment of Newfoundland and Labrador192 Wheeler's Rd., P.O. Box 2006Corner BrookNLA2H 0J1Canada
| | - Joseph A. Kath
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources1 Natural Resources WaySpringfieldIL62702U.S.A.
| | - R. Andrew King
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service520 S. Walker St.BloomingtonIN47403U.S.A.
| | - Susan C. Loeb
- Southern Research Station, U.S. Forest ServiceClemson University233 Lehotsky HallClemsonSC29634U.S.A.
| | - Ariane Massé
- Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs880 ch. Sainte‐FoyQuébecQCG1S 4X4Canada
| | - Katrina M. Morris
- Wildlife Conservation SectionGeorgia Department of Natural Resources2065 US Hwy 278 SESocial CircleGA30025U.S.A.
| | - Holly Niederriter
- Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ControlRichardson and Robbins Bldg., 89 Kings Hwy SWDoverDE19901U.S.A.
| | - Gerda Nordquist
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources500 Lafayette Rd.Saint PaulMN55155U.S.A.
| | - Roger W. Perry
- U.S. Forest Service100 Reserve St.Hot SpringsAR71901U.S.A.
| | - Richard J. Reynolds
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources7870 Villa Park Dr. #400RichmondVA23228U.S.A.
| | - D. Blake Sasse
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission2 Natural Resources Dr.Little RockAR72205U.S.A.
| | | | - Richard C. Stark
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service9014 E. 21st St.TulsaOK74129U.S.A.
| | - Craig W. Stihler
- West Virginia Division of Natural ResourcesP.O. Box 67ElkinsWV26241U.S.A.
| | - Steven C. Thomas
- National Park Service, Cumberland Piedmont Inventory and Monitoring NetworkMammoth Cave National ParkP.O. Box 8Mammoth CaveKY42259U.S.A.
| | - Gregory G. Turner
- Pennsylvania Game Commission2001 Elmerton Ave.HarrisburgPA17110U.S.A.
| | - Shevenell Webb
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife284 State St.AugustaME04330U.S.A.
| | - Bradford J. Westrich
- Indiana Department of Natural Resources402 W. Washington St.IndianapolisIN46204U.S.A.
| | - Winifred F. Frick
- Bat Conservation International500 North Capital of Texas Highway, Building 1AustinTX78746U.S.A.
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of California130 McAllister Way, Santa CruzSanta CruzCA95060U.S.A.
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Mycobiome Traits Associated with Disease Tolerance Predict Many Western North American Bat Species Will Be Susceptible to White-Nose Syndrome. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0025421. [PMID: 34287035 PMCID: PMC8552606 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00254-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
White-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that has caused catastrophic population declines of bats in eastern North America, is rapidly spreading across the continent and now threatens previously unexposed bat species in western North America. The causal agent of WNS, the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, can infect many species of hibernating bats, but susceptibility to WNS varies by host species. We previously reported that certain traits of the skin microbiome, particularly yeast diversity and abundance, of bat species in eastern North America are strongly associated with resistance to WNS. Using these traits, we developed models to predict WNS susceptibility of 13 species of western North American bats. Based on models derived from yeast species diversity, only one bat species, Myotis velifer, was predicted to be WNS resistant (i.e., may develop the disease, but with low mortality rates). We also screened yeasts found on western bats for P. destructans-antagonistic properties by spore germination and growth inhibition/competition assays and found the ability of yeasts to inhibit P. destructans in vitro to be strain specific. Similar to results of inhibition assays performed with yeasts isolated from bats in eastern North America, few yeasts isolated from bats in western North America inhibited P. destructans in vitro. Continued monitoring of western bat populations will serve to validate the accuracy of the mycobiome analysis in predicting WNS susceptibility, document population and susceptibility trends, and identify additional predictors to assess the vulnerability of naive bat populations to WNS. IMPORTANCE White-nose syndrome is one of the most devastating wildlife diseases ever documented. Some bat species are resistant to or tolerant of the disease, and we previously reported that certain traits of the skin mycobiome of bat species in eastern North America are strongly associated with resistance to WNS. Predicting which western bat species will be most susceptible to WNS would be of great value for establishing conservation priorities. Based on models derived from yeast species diversity, only one bat species was predicted to be WNS resistant. High susceptibility to WNS would pose a significant conservation threat to bats in western North America.
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Integrating Multiple Survey Techniques to Document a Shifting Bat Community in the Wake of White-Nose Syndrome. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.3996/jfwm-20-043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The long-term study of bat communities often depends on a diverse set of sampling methodologies that are chosen based on the species or habitat management priorities of the research project. Integrating the data from a diverse set of methodologies (such as acoustic monitoring and mist net sampling) would improve our ability to characterize changes in community structure or composition over time, such as one would expect following an emergent infectious disease such as white-nose syndrome. We developed a Bayesian state-space model to integrate these disparate data into a common currency (relative abundance). We collected both acoustic monitoring and mist net capture data over an 8-y period (2006–2014) to document shifts in the bat community in central New England, USA, in response to the onset of white-nose syndrome in 2009. The integrated data model shows a significant decline in the abundance of little brown bat Myotis lucifugus, northern long-eared bat Myotis septentrionalis, and hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus, and an increase in abundance of the eastern small-footed bat Myotis leibii and the eastern red bat Lasiurus borealis. There was no evidence for a change in abundance in the big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus since the onset of white-nose syndrome. The consistency of this model with regional estimates of decline over the same time period support the validity of our relative abundance estimate. This model provides the opportunity to quantify shifts in other communities where multiple sampling methodologies were employed, and therefore provides natural resource managers with a robust tool to integrate existing sampling data to quantify changes in community composition that can inform conservation and management recommendations.
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Soil Reservoir Dynamics of Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, the Causative Agent of Snake Fungal Disease. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7060461. [PMID: 34201162 PMCID: PMC8226778 DOI: 10.3390/jof7060461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife diseases pose an ever-growing threat to global biodiversity. Understanding how wildlife pathogens are distributed in the environment and the ability of pathogens to form environmental reservoirs is critical to understanding and predicting disease dynamics within host populations. Snake fungal disease (SFD) is an emerging conservation threat to North American snake populations. The causative agent, Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo), is detectable in environmentally derived soils. However, little is known about the distribution of Oo in the environment and the persistence and growth of Oo in soils. Here, we use quantitative PCR to detect Oo in soil samples collected from five snake dens. We compare the detection rates between soils collected from within underground snake hibernacula and associated, adjacent topsoil samples. Additionally, we used microcosm growth assays to assess the growth of Oo in soils and investigate whether the detection and growth of Oo are related to abiotic parameters and microbial communities of soil samples. We found that Oo is significantly more likely to be detected in hibernaculum soils compared to topsoils. We also found that Oo was capable of growth in sterile soil, but no growth occurred in soils with an active microbial community. A number of fungal genera were more abundant in soils that did not permit growth of Oo, versus those that did. Our results suggest that soils may display a high degree of both general and specific suppression of Oo in the environment. Harnessing environmental suppression presents opportunities to mitigate the impacts of SFD in wild snake populations.
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Fritze M, Puechmaille SJ, Costantini D, Fickel J, Voigt CC, Czirják GÁ. Determinants of defence strategies of a hibernating European bat species towards the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 119:104017. [PMID: 33476670 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2021.104017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative agent of white-nose syndrome in North America, has decimated bat populations within a decade. The fungus impacts bats during hibernation when physiological functions, including immune responses, are down-regulated. Studies have shown that Pd is native to Europe, where it is not associated with mass mortalities. Moreover, genomic and proteomic studies indicated that European bats may have evolved an effective immune defence, which is lacking in North American bats. However, it is still unclear which defence strategy enables European bats to cope with the pathogen. Here, we analyzed selected physiological and immunological parameters in torpid, Pd infected European greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis) showing three different levels of infection (asymptomatic, mild and severe symptoms). From a subset of the studied bats we tracked skin temperatures during one month of hibernation. Contrasting North American bats, arousal patterns remained unaffected by Pd infections in M. myotis. In general, heavier M. myotis aroused more often from hibernation and showed less severe disease symptoms than lean individuals; most likely because heavy bats were capable of reducing the Pd load more effectively than lean individuals. In the blood of severely infected bats, we found higher gene expression levels of an inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β), but lower levels of an acute phase protein (haptoglobin), reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) and plasma non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (OXY) compared to conspecifics with lower levels of infection. We conclude that M. myotis, and possibly also other European bat species, tolerate Pd infections during torpor by using selected acute phase response parameters at baseline levels, yet without arousing from torpor and without synthesizing additional immune molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Fritze
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Sebastien J Puechmaille
- Institut des Sciences de L'Evolution, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, France
| | - David Costantini
- Unité Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation (PhyMA), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP32, 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Jörns Fickel
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Christian C Voigt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
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White-nose syndrome-related changes to Mid-Atlantic bat communities across an urban-to-rural gradient. BMC ZOOL 2021; 6:12. [PMID: 37170299 PMCID: PMC10127033 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-021-00079-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has reduced the abundance of many bat species within the United States’ Mid-Atlantic region. To determine changes within the National Park Service National Capital Region (NCR) bat communities, we surveyed the area with mist netting and active acoustic sampling (2016–2018) and compared findings to pre-WNS (2003–2004) data.
Results
The results indicated the continued presence of the threatened Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared bat) and species of conservation concern, including Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored bat), Myotis leibii (Eastern Small-footed bat) and Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown bat). However, we documented a significant reduction in the abundance and distribution of M. lucifugus and P. subflavus, a decrease in the distribution of M. septentrionalis, and an increase in the abundance of Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown bat).
Conclusions
Documented post-WNS M. septentrionalis recruitment suggests that portions of the NCR may be important bat conservation areas. Decreases in distribution and abundance of P. subflavus and M. lucifugus indicate probable extirpation from many previously occupied portions of the region.
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Seewagen CL, Adams AM. Turning to the dark side: LED light at night alters the activity and species composition of a foraging bat assemblage in the northeastern United States. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5635-5645. [PMID: 34026035 PMCID: PMC8131776 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a rapidly intensifying form of environmental degradation that can impact wildlife by altering light-mediated physiological processes that control a broad range of behaviors. Although nocturnal animals are most vulnerable, ALAN's effects on North American bats have been surprisingly understudied. Most of what is known is based on decades-old observations of bats around street lights with traditional lighting technologies that have been increasingly replaced by energy-efficient broad-spectrum lighting, rendering our understanding of the contemporary effects of ALAN on North American bats even less complete. We experimentally tested the effects of broad-spectrum ALAN on presence/absence, foraging activity, and species composition in a Connecticut, USA bat community by illuminating foraging habitat with light-emitting diode (LED) floodlights and comparing acoustic recordings between light and dark conditions. Lighting dramatically decreased presence and activity of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), which we detected on only 14% of light nights compared with 65% of dark (lights off) and 69% of control (lights removed) nights. Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) activity on light nights averaged only half that of dark and control nights. Lighting did not affect presence/absence of silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans), but decreased their activity. There were no effects on eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) or hoary bats (L. cinereus), which have been described previously as light-tolerant. Aversion to lighting by some species but not others caused a significant shift in community composition, thereby potentially altering competitive balances from natural conditions. Our results demonstrate that only a small degree of ALAN can represent a significant form of habitat degradation for some North American bats, including the endangered little brown bat. Research on the extent to which different lighting technologies, colors, and intensities affect these species is urgently needed and should be a priority in conservation planning for North America's bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad L. Seewagen
- Great Hollow Nature Preserve & Ecological Research CenterNew FairfieldCTUSA
- Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsCTUSA
- Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation CenterUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsCTUSA
| | - Amanda M. Adams
- Bat Conservation InternationalAustinTXUSA
- Department of BiologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTXUSA
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Phylogeographic analysis of Pseudogymnoascus destructans partitivirus-pa explains the spread dynamics of white-nose syndrome in North America. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009236. [PMID: 33730096 PMCID: PMC7968715 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the dynamics of white-nose syndrome spread in time and space is an important component for the disease epidemiology and control. We reported earlier that a novel partitivirus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans partitivirus-pa, had infected the North American isolates of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome in bats. We showed that the diversity of the viral coat protein sequences is correlated to their geographical origin. Here we hypothesize that the geographical adaptation of the virus could be used as a proxy to characterize the spread of white-nose syndrome. We used over 100 virus isolates from diverse locations in North America and applied the phylogeographic analysis tool BEAST to characterize the spread of the disease. The strict clock phylogeographic analysis under the coalescent model in BEAST showed a patchy spread pattern of white-nose syndrome driven from a few source locations including Connecticut, New York, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The source states had significant support in the maximum clade credibility tree and Bayesian stochastic search variable selection analysis. Although the geographic origin of the virus is not definite, it is likely the virus infected the fungus prior to the spread of white-nose syndrome in North America. We also inferred from the BEAST analysis that the recent long-distance spread of the fungus to Washington had its root in Kentucky, likely from the Mammoth cave area and most probably mediated by a human. The time to the most recent common ancestor of the virus is estimated somewhere between the late 1990s to early 2000s. We found the mean substitution rate of 2 X 10-3 substitutions per site per year for the virus which is higher than expected given the persistent lifestyle of the virus, and the stamping-machine mode of replication. Our approach of using the virus as a proxy to understand the spread of white-nose syndrome could be an important tool for the study and management of other infectious diseases.
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Vanderwolf KJ, Campbell LJ, Goldberg TL, Blehert DS, Lorch JM. Skin fungal assemblages of bats vary based on susceptibility to white-nose syndrome. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:909-920. [PMID: 33149209 PMCID: PMC8027032 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00821-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Microbial skin assemblages, including fungal communities, can influence host resistance to infectious diseases. The diversity-invasibility hypothesis predicts that high-diversity communities are less easily invaded than species-poor communities, and thus diverse microbial communities may prevent pathogens from colonizing a host. To explore the hypothesis that host fungal communities mediate resistance to infection by fungal pathogens, we investigated characteristics of bat skin fungal communities as they relate to susceptibility to the emerging disease white-nose syndrome (WNS). Using a culture-based approach, we compared skin fungal assemblage characteristics of 10 bat species that differ in susceptibility to WNS across 10 eastern U.S. states. The fungal assemblages on WNS-susceptible bat species had significantly lower alpha diversity and abundance compared to WNS-resistant species. Overall fungal assemblage structure did not vary based on WNS-susceptibility, but several yeast species were differentially abundant on WNS-resistant bat species. One yeast species inhibited Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative agent on WNS, in vitro under certain conditions, suggesting a possible role in host protection. Further exploration of interactions between Pd and constituents of skin fungal assemblages may prove useful for predicting susceptibility of bat populations to WNS and for developing effective mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J Vanderwolf
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WIS, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - Lewis J Campbell
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WIS, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - Tony L Goldberg
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - David S Blehert
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Lorch
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA.
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Vanderwolf KJ, McAlpine DF. Hibernacula microclimate and declines in overwintering bats during an outbreak of white-nose syndrome near the northern range limit of infection in North America. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2273-2288. [PMID: 33717454 PMCID: PMC7920769 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
We document white-nose syndrome (WNS), a lethal disease of bats caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), and hibernacula microclimate in New Brunswick, Canada. Our study area represents a more northern region than is common for hibernacula microclimate investigations, providing insight as to how WNS may impact bats at higher latitudes. To determine the impact of the March 2011 arrival of Pd in New Brunswick and the role of hibernacula microclimate on overwintering bat mortality, we surveyed bat numbers at hibernacula twice a year from 2009 to 2015. We also collected data from iButton temperature loggers deployed at all sites and data from HOBO temperature and humidity loggers at three sites. Bat species found in New Brunswick hibernacula include Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat) and M. septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat), with small numbers of Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat). All known hibernacula in the province were Pd-positive with WNS-positive bats by winter 2013. A 99% decrease in the overwintering bat population in New Brunswick was observed between 2011 and 2015. We did not observe P. subflavus during surveys 2013-2015 and the species appears to be extirpated from these sites. Bats did not appear to choose hibernacula based on winter temperatures, but dark zone (zone where no light penetrates) winter temperatures did not differ among our study sites. Winter dark zone temperatures were warmer and less variable than entrance or above ground temperatures. We observed visible Pd growth on hibernating bats in New Brunswick during early winter surveys (November), even though hibernacula temperatures were colder than optimum for in vitro Pd growth. This suggests that cold hibernacula temperatures encountered near the apparent northern range limit for Pd do not sufficiently slow fungal growth to prevent the onset of WNS and associated bat mortality over the winter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J. Vanderwolf
- Canadian Wildlife FederationKanataONCanada
- New Brunswick MuseumSaint JohnNBCanada
- Present address:
Trent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
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Abstract
The recent introduction of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome in bats) from Eurasia to North America has resulted in the collapse of North American bat populations and restructured species communities. The long evolutionary history between P. destructans and bats in Eurasia makes understanding host life history essential to uncovering the ecology of P. destructans. In this Review, we combine information on pathogen and host biology to understand the patterns of P. destructans spread, seasonal transmission ecology, the pathogenesis of white-nose syndrome and the cross-scale impact from individual hosts to ecosystems. Collectively, this research highlights how early pathogen detection and quantification of host impacts has accelerated the understanding of this newly emerging infectious disease.
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Browning E, Barlow KE, Burns F, Hawkins C, Boughey K. Drivers of European bat population change: a review reveals evidence gaps. Mamm Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ella Browning
- Centre for Biodiversity and Ecology Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment Division of Biosciences University College London LondonWC1E 6BTUK
- Institute of Zoology Zoological Society of London Regents Park LondonNW1 4RYUK
| | - Kate E. Barlow
- The Bat Conservation Trust Quadrant House, 250 Kennington Lane LondonSE11 5RDUK
| | - Fiona Burns
- The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Centre for Conservation Science SandySG19 2DLUK
| | - Charlotte Hawkins
- The Bat Conservation Trust Quadrant House, 250 Kennington Lane LondonSE11 5RDUK
| | - Katherine Boughey
- The Bat Conservation Trust Quadrant House, 250 Kennington Lane LondonSE11 5RDUK
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40
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Wilber MQ, Carter ED, Gray MJ, Briggs CJ. Putative resistance and tolerance mechanisms have little impact on disease progression for an emerging salamander pathogen. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Q. Wilber
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA USA
- Center for Wildlife Health Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Knoxville TN USA
| | - Edward Davis Carter
- Center for Wildlife Health Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Knoxville TN USA
| | - Matthew J. Gray
- Center for Wildlife Health Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Knoxville TN USA
| | - Cheryl J. Briggs
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA USA
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41
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Gignoux-Wolfsohn SA, Pinsky ML, Kerwin K, Herzog C, Hall M, Bennett AB, Fefferman NH, Maslo B. Genomic signatures of selection in bats surviving white-nose syndrome. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5643-5657. [PMID: 33476441 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Rapid evolution of advantageous traits following abrupt environmental change can help populations recover from demographic decline. However, for many introduced diseases affecting longer-lived, slower reproducing hosts, mortality is likely to outpace the acquisition of adaptive de novo mutations. Adaptive alleles must therefore be selected from standing genetic variation, a process that leaves few detectable genomic signatures. Here, we present whole genome evidence for selection in bat populations that are recovering from white-nose syndrome (WNS). We collected samples both during and after a WNS-induced mass mortality event in two little brown bat populations that are beginning to show signs of recovery and found signatures of soft sweeps from standing genetic variation at multiple loci throughout the genome. We identified one locus putatively under selection in a gene associated with the immune system. Multiple loci putatively under selection were located within genes previously linked to host response to WNS as well as to changes in metabolism during hibernation. Results from two additional populations suggested that loci under selection may differ somewhat among populations. Through these findings, we suggest that WNS-induced selection may contribute to genetic resistance in this slowly reproducing species threatened with extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Gignoux-Wolfsohn
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Malin L Pinsky
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Kathleen Kerwin
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Carl Herzog
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY, USA
| | - MacKenzie Hall
- Endangered and Nongame Species Program, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Nina H Fefferman
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Tennessee, TN, USA
| | - Brooke Maslo
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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42
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Continued preference for suboptimal habitat reduces bat survival with white-nose syndrome. Nat Commun 2021; 12:166. [PMID: 33420005 PMCID: PMC7794521 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20416-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat alteration can influence suitability, creating ecological traps where habitat preference and fitness are mismatched. Despite their importance, ecological traps are notoriously difficult to identify and their impact on host–pathogen dynamics remains largely unexplored. Here we assess individual bat survival and habitat preferences in the midwestern United States before, during, and after the invasion of the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome. Despite strong selection pressures, most hosts continued to select habitats where disease severity was highest and survival was lowest, causing continued population declines. However, some individuals used refugia where survival was higher. Over time, a higher proportion of the total population used refugia than before pathogen arrival. Our results demonstrate that host preferences for habitats with high disease-induced mortality can create ecological traps that threaten populations, even in the presence of accessible refugia. Temperature-dependent host–pathogen interactions may lead species to shift their thermal preferences under pathogen pressure. However, here the authors show that bats have not altered their microclimate preferences due to temperature-mediated mortality from white-nose syndrome, finding instead a sustained preference for warmer sites with high mortality.
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43
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Green DM, McGuire LP, Vanderwel MC, Willis CKR, Noakes MJ, Bohn SJ, Green EN, Brigham RM. Local trends in abundance of migratory bats across 20 years. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) and silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) are species of conservation concern because of the documented annual mortality that occurs at wind energy facilities. Several recent studies have predicted continental-scale declines of hoary bat populations due to interactions with wind turbines. We predicted a decrease in captures at a summer site over 20 years where researchers have captured bats using generally consistent methods. We developed a hierarchical Bayesian model to estimate the relative change in the expected number of captures while controlling for time of year, temperature, and netting effort. We found no decrease in the number of captures for either species. We suggest that the lack of decrease observed at our study site may be a result of compensatory immigration, despite potential broader-scale population declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana M Green
- Department of Biology, Laboratory Building LB109, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada
| | - Liam P McGuire
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Mark C Vanderwel
- Department of Biology, Laboratory Building LB248, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada
| | - Craig K R Willis
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Inter-Disciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Matthew J Noakes
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Shelby J Bohn
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Eric N Green
- Department of Biology, Laboratory Building LB109, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada
| | - R Mark Brigham
- Department of Biology, Laboratory Building LB109, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada
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44
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Kurta A, Smith SM. Changes in Population Size and Clustering Behavior of Hibernating Bats in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan After Arrival of White-Nose Syndrome. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2020. [DOI: 10.1656/045.027.0415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Allen Kurta
- Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197
| | - Steven M. Smith
- S.M. Smith Company, 1105 Westwood Avenue, Iron Mountain, MI 49801
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45
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Wilber MQ, Briggs CJ, Johnson PTJ. Disease's hidden death toll: Using parasite aggregation patterns to quantify landscape-level host mortality in a wildlife system. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2876-2887. [PMID: 32935347 PMCID: PMC9009358 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
World-wide, infectious diseases represent a major source of mortality in humans and livestock. For wildlife populations, disease-induced mortality is likely even greater, but remains notoriously difficult to estimate-especially for endemic infections. Approaches for quantifying wildlife mortality due to endemic infections have historically been limited by an inability to directly observe wildlife mortality in nature. Here we address a question that can rarely be answered for endemic pathogens of wildlife: what are the population- and landscape-level effects of infection on host mortality? We combined laboratory experiments, extensive field data and novel mathematical models to indirectly estimate the magnitude of mortality induced by an endemic, virulent trematode parasite (Ribeiroia ondatrae) on hundreds of amphibian populations spanning four native species. We developed a flexible statistical model that uses patterns of aggregation in parasite abundance to infer host mortality. Our model improves on previous approaches for inferring host mortality from parasite abundance data by (i) relaxing restrictive assumptions on the timing of host mortality and sampling, (ii) placing all mortality inference within a Bayesian framework to better quantify uncertainty and (iii) accommodating data from laboratory experiments and field sampling to allow for estimates and comparisons of mortality within and among host populations. Applying our approach to 301 amphibian populations, we found that trematode infection was associated with an average of between 13% and 40% population-level mortality. For three of the four amphibian species, our models predicted that some populations experienced >90% mortality due to infection, leading to mortality of thousands of amphibian larvae within a pond. At the landscape scale, the total number of amphibians predicted to succumb to infection was driven by a few high mortality sites, with fewer than 20% of sites contributing to greater than 80% of amphibian mortality on the landscape. The mortality estimates in this study provide a rare glimpse into the magnitude of effects that endemic parasites can have on wildlife populations and our theoretical framework for indirectly inferring parasite-induced mortality can be applied to other host-parasite systems to help reveal the hidden death toll of pathogens on wildlife hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Q. Wilber
- Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106
| | - Cheryl J. Briggs
- Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106
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46
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Kilpatrick AM, Hoyt JR, King RA, Kaarakka HM, Redell JA, White JP, Langwig KE. Impact of censusing and research on wildlife populations. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A. Marm Kilpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz California USA
| | - Joseph R. Hoyt
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Polytechnic Institute Blacksburg Virginia USA
| | - R. Andrew King
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Program Indiana Field Office Bloomington Indiana USA
| | | | | | - J. Paul White
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Kate E. Langwig
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Polytechnic Institute Blacksburg Virginia USA
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47
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Nocera T, Ford WM, Dobony C, Silvis A. Temporal and Spatial Changes in Myotis lucifugus Acoustic Activity Before and After White-Nose Syndrome on Fort Drum Army Installation, New York, USA. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2020.22.1.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Nocera
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, 149 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - W. Mark Ford
- US Geological Survey, Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 106 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Christopher Dobony
- Fort Drum Military Installation, Directorate of Public Works, Natural Resource Branch, T-4848 Delahanty Ave., Fort Drum, NY 13602-5097, USA
| | - Alexander Silvis
- West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Box 67, Elkins WV 24261, USA
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48
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Olival KJ, Cryan PM, Amman BR, Baric RS, Blehert DS, Brook CE, Calisher CH, Castle KT, Coleman JTH, Daszak P, Epstein JH, Field H, Frick WF, Gilbert AT, Hayman DTS, Ip HS, Karesh WB, Johnson CK, Kading RC, Kingston T, Lorch JM, Mendenhall IH, Peel AJ, Phelps KL, Plowright RK, Reeder DM, Reichard JD, Sleeman JM, Streicker DG, Towner JS, Wang LF. Possibility for reverse zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to free-ranging wildlife: A case study of bats. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008758. [PMID: 32881980 PMCID: PMC7470399 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the substantial public health, economic, and societal consequences of virus spillover from a wildlife reservoir. Widespread human transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also presents a new set of challenges when considering viral spillover from people to naïve wildlife and other animal populations. The establishment of new wildlife reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2 would further complicate public health control measures and could lead to wildlife health and conservation impacts. Given the likely bat origin of SARS-CoV-2 and related beta-coronaviruses (β-CoVs), free-ranging bats are a key group of concern for spillover from humans back to wildlife. Here, we review the diversity and natural host range of β-CoVs in bats and examine the risk of humans inadvertently infecting free-ranging bats with SARS-CoV-2. Our review of the global distribution and host range of β-CoV evolutionary lineages suggests that 40+ species of temperate-zone North American bats could be immunologically naïve and susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2. We highlight an urgent need to proactively connect the wellbeing of human and wildlife health during the current pandemic and to implement new tools to continue wildlife research while avoiding potentially severe health and conservation impacts of SARS-CoV-2 "spilling back" into free-ranging bat populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J. Olival
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Paul M. Cryan
- US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Ft. Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Brian R. Amman
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Ralph S. Baric
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - David S. Blehert
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Cara E. Brook
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Charles H. Calisher
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Kevin T. Castle
- Wildlife Veterinary Consulting, Livermore, Colorado, United States of America
| | | | - Peter Daszak
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Hume Field
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, United States of America
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Winifred F. Frick
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Amy T. Gilbert
- US Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research Center, Ft. Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - David T. S. Hayman
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Hon S. Ip
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | | | - Christine K. Johnson
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Rebekah C. Kading
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Tigga Kingston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey M. Lorch
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Ian H. Mendenhall
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore
| | - Alison J. Peel
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
| | - Kendra L. Phelps
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Raina K. Plowright
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - DeeAnn M. Reeder
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | | | - Jonathan M. Sleeman
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Daniel G. Streicker
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan S. Towner
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Lin-Fa Wang
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore
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49
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Grisnik M, Bowers O, Moore AJ, Jones BF, Campbell JR, Walker DM. The cutaneous microbiota of bats has in vitro antifungal activity against the white nose pathogen. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2020; 96:5710932. [PMID: 31960913 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiz193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Since its introduction into the USA, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the fungal pathogen of white-nose syndrome, has killed millions of bats. Recently, bacteria capable of inhibiting the growth of Pd have been identified within bat microbial assemblages, leading to increased interest in elucidating bacterial assemblage-pathogen interactions. Our objectives were to determine if bat cutaneous bacteria have antifungal activity against Pd, and correlate differences in the bat cutaneous microbiota with the presence/absence of Pd. We hypothesized that the cutaneous microbiota of bats is enriched with antifungal bacteria, and that the skin assemblage will correlate with Pd status. To test this, we sampled bat microbiota, adjacent roost surfaces and soil from Pd positive caves to infer possible overlap of antifungal taxa, we tested these bacteria for bioactivity in vitro, and lastly compared bacterial assemblages using both amplicon and shotgun high-throughput DNA sequencing. Results suggest that the presence of Pd has an inconsistent influence on the bat cutaneous microbial assemblage across sites. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that corresponded with cultured antifungal bacteria were present within all sample types but were significantly more abundant on bat skin relative to the environment. Additionally, the microbial assemblage of Pd negative bats was found to have more OTUs that corresponded to antifungal taxa than positive bats, suggesting an interaction between the fungal pathogen and cutaneous microbial assemblage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Grisnik
- Middle Tennessee State University, Toxicology and Disease Group, Biology Department, 1672 Greenland Drive, Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132, USA
| | - Olivia Bowers
- Middle Tennessee State University, Toxicology and Disease Group, Biology Department, 1672 Greenland Drive, Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132, USA
| | - Andrew J Moore
- Tennessee Technological University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1100 N. Dixie Ave, Cookeville, Tennessee 38505, USA
| | - Benjamin F Jones
- Tennessee Technological University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1100 N. Dixie Ave, Cookeville, Tennessee 38505, USA
| | - Joshua R Campbell
- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, 5105 Edmondson Pike, Nashville, Tennessee 37211, USA
| | - Donald M Walker
- Middle Tennessee State University, Toxicology and Disease Group, Biology Department, 1672 Greenland Drive, Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132, USA
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50
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Lemieux-Labonté V, Dorville NASY, Willis CKR, Lapointe FJ. Antifungal Potential of the Skin Microbiota of Hibernating Big Brown Bats ( Eptesicus fuscus) Infected With the Causal Agent of White-Nose Syndrome. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1776. [PMID: 32793178 PMCID: PMC7390961 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about skin microbiota in the context of the disease white-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), that has caused enormous declines of hibernating North American bats over the past decade. Interestingly, some hibernating species, such as the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), appear resistant to the disease and their skin microbiota could play a role. However, a comprehensive analysis of the skin microbiota of E. fuscus in the context of Pd has not been done. In January 2017, we captured hibernating E. fuscus, sampled their skin microbiota, and inoculated them with Pd or sham inoculum. We allowed the bats to hibernate in the lab under controlled conditions for 11 weeks and then sampled their skin microbiota to test the following hypotheses: (1) Pd infection would not disrupt the skin microbiota of Pd-resistant E. fuscus; and (2) microbial taxa with antifungal properties would be abundant both before and after inoculation with Pd. Using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we discovered that beta diversity of Pd-inoculated bats changed more over time than that of sham-inoculated bats. Still, the most abundant taxa in the community were stable throughout the experiment. Among the most abundant taxa, Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus are known for antifungal potential against Pd and other fungi. Thus, in contrast to hypothesis 1, Pd infection destabilized the skin microbiota but consistent with hypothesis 2, bacteria with known antifungal properties remained abundant and stable on the skin. This study is the first to provide a comprehensive survey of skin microbiota of E. fuscus, suggesting potential associations between the bat skin microbiota and resistance to the Pd infection and WNS. These results set the stage for future studies to characterize microbiota gene expression, better understand mechanisms of resistance to WNS, and help develop conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole A. S.-Y. Dorville
- Department of Biology, Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Craig K. R. Willis
- Department of Biology, Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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