White nose syndrome vs. Australian bats

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a devastating wildlife disease that has killed millions of insectivorous bats in North America since 2006, when the causal fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) was first detected. Australian bats might soon face exposure to this potentially catastrophic fungal disease. Limited initial screening indicates the fungus is not currently in Australia. However, a Commonwealth-initiated expert risk assessment has concluded it is ‘almost certain’ that Pd will be inadvertently introduced into an Australian cave within the next ten years . In agreement with this worrying assessment, Australia’s Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer has placed WNS in the top-five ‘priority native animal diseases and their pathogens’ of the interim priority list of exotic environmental pests and diseases . Similarly, the Animal Health Committee has recently added WNS to Australia’s national list of notifiable animal diseases . Yet, assessment of the probable impact of WNS is difficult because we know so little about the winter biology of Australia’s bats. Research has been identified as urgently needed to understand, prepare for, and respond to the imminent threat posed by WNS to Australia’s bat fauna. 
Picture
Large parts of southern Australia provides cave habitat suitable for growth by the cold-loving fungus responsible for white-nose syndrome. Turbill & Welbergen 2019

Aims & Expected Outcomes

This ARC Linkage-funded project aims to develop predictive models of vulnerability to WNS for populations of Australian bats by gaining critical information about their risk of exposure to the Pd pathogen and likely sensitivity to mortality from developing WNS.

​​Expected outcomes include spatially explicit, species-specific models of vulnerability to white-nose syndrome for bat populations across south-eastern Australia, essential for directing actions to prevent, detect and mitigate the impacts of this potentially catastrophic wildlife disease. ​

Research Team

Researchers
Dr Christopher Turbill
A/Prof Justin Welbergen
Dr John Martin
Dr Lindy Lumsden
Prof Fritz Geiser
Dr Jasmin Hufschmid
​Prof Craig Willis

Partner organisations
Australasian Bat Society Inc; Wildlife Health Australia Incorporated; Taronga Conservation Society Australia; Zoos Victoria, Australian Speleological Federation Incorporated; Department of Environment Land Water and Planning; Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment; Department of Planning Industry and Environment, University of Winnipeg

References