Examination of several Oklahoma bat hibernacula cave soils forPseudogymnoascus destructans,the causative agent of White-Nose Syndrome

Abstract

White-nose syndrome is an often lethal fungal infection of bats that is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, formerly Geomyces destructans. The fungal spores can persist for extended periods of time in the soil and on surfaces in caves where it might be found even after the bats depart. In 2010, a single bat, Myotis velifer, from a western Oklahoma gypsum cave, was initially diagnosed by the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, as “suspect white-nose syndrome.” Based on this, we decided to examine soil samples from various bat caves across Oklahoma for the presence of P. destructans. We used Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction to analyze 83 soil samples from 17 caves in Oklahoma. None of the soil samples were found to contain genetic material from P. destructans. We postulate that P. destructans has not yet reached Oklahoma because of the negative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction results, because a National Wildlife Health Center reexamination of the original bat suggested the bat was negative for P. destructans, and subsequent analyses of bat nose and wing swabs, bat tissues, and physical examination of hibernating bats have all been negative for white-nose syndrome.