White-nose syndrome, deadly to bats, reaches NWT for first time

A disease decimating North American bat populations has reached the Northwest Territories, the territorial government confirmed on Tuesday.

In a news release, the NWT’s Department of Environment and Climate Change said a case of white-nose syndrome had been found in a bat in the Fort Smith area during routine monitoring.

White-nose syndrome is associated with a mass die-off of hibernating bats since it was first reported about 20 years ago. Experts had previously warned that the fungus behind the disease was at the doorstep of the Northwest Territories.

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ECC said a northern myotis bat was found with the disease, marking what the department called the northernmost detection of the disease in North America.

White-nose syndrome is caused by a cold-loving fungus called Pseudogymnoascus destructans – often referred to as Pd – that lives in the soil and in bat hibernation sites like caves.

A hibernating bat’s body temperature can drop as low as 3C, an ideal temperature for the fungus to thrive.

The fungus disrupts bats’ hibernation, forcing them to use their fat reserves to heat their bodies back up, restart their immune systems and groom the fungus off their skin before it causes damage, researchers previously told Cabin Radio.

Even if a bat survives the winter without burning off too much fat, the fungus can eat through the skin on a bat’s wing, causing holes that render the bat flightless and unable to feed itself.

The disease is not a health risk for humans and isn’t known to affect any wildlife beyond bats, ECC stated. It is, however, a threat to all five species of hibernating bat in the NWT.

“Bats eat large numbers of insects and play an important role in ecosystems, so their loss can lead to significant ecological impacts,” ECC stated.

“There is currently no known cure for [white-nose syndrome], so management focuses on reducing other kinds of harm to bats and supporting healthy bat populations.

“As the fungus spreads, mortalities at hibernation sites are anticipated and possibly large declines in our bat populations.”

The GNWT is asking residents to report any dead bats by email for testing, collect bat poop for tests where possible and report any unusual bat behaviour such as daytime flying.