Effect of Humidity on Development of<i>Pseudogymnoascus destructans</i>, the Causal Agent of Bat White-Nose Syndrome

Marroquin, Cynthia M.; Lavine, Jamal O.; Windstam, Sofia

doi:10.1656/045.024.0105

Cited by 46 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…While bats have been recognised as important reservoir hosts for a great variety of emerging infectious agents [ 7 ], the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans [ 8 , 9 ], causative agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), is the first pathogen to threaten chiropteran biodiversity [ 10 , 11 ] in the temperate zone. Constrained by temperature [ 12 ] and humidity [ 13 ], WNS emerged in a specific niche, i.e. underground bat hibernacula [ 14 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

White-nose syndrome detected in bats over an extensive area of Russia

et al. 2018

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BackgroundSpatiotemporal distribution patterns are important infectious disease epidemiological characteristics that improve our understanding of wild animal population health. The skin infection caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans emerged as a panzootic disease in bats of the northern hemisphere. However, the infection status of bats over an extensive geographic area of the Russian Federation has remained understudied.ResultsWe examined bats at the geographic limits of bat hibernation in the Palearctic temperate zone and found bats with white-nose syndrome (WNS) on the European slopes of the Ural Mountains through the Western Siberian Plain, Central Siberia and on to the Far East. We identified the diagnostic symptoms of WNS based on histopathology in the Northern Ural region at 11° (about 1200 km) higher latitude than the current northern limit in the Nearctic. While body surface temperature differed between regions, bats at all study sites hibernated in very cold conditions averaging 3.6 °C. Each region also differed in P. destructans fungal load and the number of UV fluorescent skin lesions indicating skin damage intensity. Myotis bombinus, M. gracilis and Murina hilgendorfi were newly confirmed with histopathological symptoms of WNS. Prevalence of UV-documented WNS ranged between 16 and 76% in species of relevant sample size.ConclusionsTo conclude, the bat pathogen P. destructans is widely present in Russian hibernacula but infection remains at low intensity, despite the high exposure rate.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12917-018-1521-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

White-nose syndrome detected in bats over an extensive area of Russia

et al. 2018

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“…Multiple empirical studies indicate that microclimate strongly influences Pd growth, with warmer and more humid sites increasing fungal load and mortality (Langwig et al, ; Wilder, Frick, Langwig, & Kunz, ). While some of these differences may be confounded by species differences (Moore et al, ; Wilder et al, ; Willis, Menzies, Boyles, & Wojciechowski, ), models and laboratory studies suggest that effects of temperature on Pd and bat energetics could strongly influence mortality (Boyles & Willis, ; Forsythe et al, ; Hallam & Federico, ; Marroquin, Lavine, & Windstam, ). Therefore, natural differences among hibernacula, coupled with metapopulation dynamics, could substantially slow spread and/or population decline.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiscale model of regional population decline in little brown bats due to white‐nose syndrome

Kramer

Teitelbaum

Griffin

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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The introduced fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans is causing decline of several species of bats in North America, with some even at risk of extinction or extirpation. The severity of the epidemic of white‐nose syndrome caused by P. destructans has prompted investigation of the transmission and virulence of infection at multiple scales, but linking these scales is necessary to quantify the mechanisms of transmission and assess population‐scale declines. We built a model connecting within‐hibernaculum disease dynamics of little brown bats to regional‐scale dispersal, reproduction, and disease spread, including multiple plausible mechanisms of transmission. We parameterized the model using the approach of plausible parameter sets, by comparing stochastic simulation results to statistical probes from empirical data on within‐hibernaculum prevalence and survival, as well as among‐hibernacula spread across a region. Our results are consistent with frequency‐dependent transmission between bats, support an important role of environmental transmission, and show very little effect of dispersal among colonies on metapopulation survival. The results help identify the influential parameters and largest sources of uncertainty. The model also offers a generalizable method to assess hypotheses about hibernaculum‐to‐hibernaculum transmission and to identify gaps in knowledge about key processes, and could be expanded to include additional mechanisms or bat species.

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“…Our results suggest that temperature has likely played an important role in the geographic diversification of P. destructans. However, temperature is only one of many factors in the proliferation of P. destructans in the hibernaculum environment; other factors such as relative humidity (72), nutrient availability (73), and interactions with other microbes within the soil community likely also hold significant influence. Our results suggest that the genetic changes accumulated during the spread of WNS and the impact they have on survival and reproduction should be other factors in our understanding of the transmission and spread of WNS.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic Divergence along Geographic Gradients Reveals Potential for Rapid Adaptation of the White-Nose Syndrome Pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, in North America

Forsythe

Giglio

Asa

et al. 2018

Appl Environ Microbiol

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White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an ongoing epizootic affecting multiple species of North American bats, caused by epidermal infections of the psychrophilic filamentous fungus Since its introduction from Europe, WNS has spread rapidly across eastern North America and resulted in high mortality rates in bats. At present, the mechanisms behind its spread and the extent of its adaptation to different geographic and ecological niches remain unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the geographic patterns of phenotypic variation and the potential evidence for adaptation among strains representing broad geographic locations in eastern North America. The morphological features of these strains were evaluated on artificial medium, and the viability of asexual arthroconidia of representative strains was investigated after storage at high (23°C), moderate (14°C), and low (4°C) temperatures at different lengths of time. Our analyses identified evidence for a geographic pattern of colony morphology changes among the clonal descendants of the fungus, with trait values correlated with increased distance from the epicenter of WNS. Our genomic comparisons of three representative isolates revealed novel genetic polymorphisms and suggested potential candidate mutations that might be related to some of the phenotypic changes. These results show that even though this pathogen arrived in North America only recently and reproduces asexually, there has been substantial evolution and phenotypic diversification during its rapid clonal expansion. The causal agent of white-nose syndrome in bats is , a filamentous fungus recently introduced from its native range in Europe. Infections caused by have progressed across the eastern parts of Canada and the United States over the last 10 years. It is not clear how the disease is spread, as the pathogen is unable to grow above 23°C and ambient temperature can act as a barrier when hosts disperse. Here, we explore the patterns of phenotypic diversity and the germination of the fungal asexual spores, arthroconidia, from strains across a sizeable area of the epizootic range. Our analyses revealed evidence of adaptation along geographic gradients during its expansion. The results have implications for understanding the diversification of and the limits of WNS spread in North America. Given the rapidly expanding distribution of WNS, a detailed understanding of the genetic bases for phenotypic variations in growth, reproduction, and dispersal of is urgently needed to help control this disease.

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Effect of Humidity on Development ofPseudogymnoascus destructans, the Causal Agent of Bat White-Nose Syndrome

Cited by 46 publications

References 37 publications

White-nose syndrome detected in bats over an extensive area of Russia

White-nose syndrome detected in bats over an extensive area of Russia

Multiscale model of regional population decline in little brown bats due to white‐nose syndrome

Phenotypic Divergence along Geographic Gradients Reveals Potential for Rapid Adaptation of the White-Nose Syndrome Pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, in North America

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