Source: PRNewswire [edited]

WNS Identified at 6 Sites in Pennsylvania
—————————————–
As Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife biologists continue to
monitor bat hibernacula [hibernation sites], the number of sites where
bats have been confirmed infected or dying from white nose syndrome
(WNS) has risen to 6. The sites are 2 abandoned mines near Carbondale,
Lackawanna County; an abandoned mine near Shickshinny, Luzerne County;
the abandoned Shindle Iron Mine; and Aitkin & Seawra Caves in Mifflin
County.

“We continue to receive information from local residents, as well as
landowners with caves and old mine entrances on their properties,”
said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “We’re asking
people who encounter 5 or more dead or dying bats in an area to
contact us, as we’d really like to know about these types of
incidents. However, we don’t want people to go out of their way by
going in caves or mines or underground. Also, do not handle bats –
dead or alive — and keep children and pets away from grounded bats.
Even though there currently are no known human health implications
associated with WNS, the Game Commission would prefer people not
handle any bats; we’ll take care of all of that. We just need
residents to let us know if they find dead or dying bats.”

There are 2 quick and easy ways to report sick-acting or dead bats
this winter [2009]. The 1st is by calling the nearest Game Commission
region office. The 2nd is by using the Game Commission’s “Report Sick
Bats” form that can be accessed in the left-hand column of the
agency’s homepage at .

One of the landowners who the agency is working with is The Nature
Conservancy, which owns the property on which Aitkin Cave is situated.

“Since WNS has now been identified in Aitkin Cave, it will remain
closed to the public, and we will continue to work with Game
Commission to monitor the situation of the bat population,” said
Scott Bearer, Ph.D., Forest Ecologist for The Nature Conservancy.
“Our hope is that the bats will recover. However, the truth is we
could expect to see large numbers of bats dying in the next few weeks
at or near the entrance.”

For more information, please see the Game Commission’s “Report Sick
Bats” page in the left-hand column of the agency’s homepage at
.

Just a thought.

March 13, 2008

I am an MD who has been studying fungal-mycotoxin diseases for 30 years. I believe Gliotoxin is the missing virulence factor in the AIDS syndrome and many cancers. The conventional wisdom is the species becomes immunosuppressed by a virus and then develops fungal infections. This reverses cause and effect. The fungus produces the mycotoxin-in this case Gliotoxin, which kills CD4 cells in AIDS patients, leading to immune decrement and then death. A low CD4 count is the hallmark of AIDS and the HIV virus has barely been shown to be pathogenic.
I believe BWNS and CCD can both be tied to the increased and apparently inappropriate use of the biosoil fungal control agent first developed in 1990 by the ARS/USDA known as Gliogard, now marketed as Soilgard. This Gladiosporium fungus produces the ‘antibiotic’ gliotoxin which kills competitors in the fungal niche width. I suspect the gliotoxin gene GLiZ has jumped to Penicillium and Aspergillus species from seeding the soil with Gliogard aka Soilgard. The insects take up the fungus whereby it has moved up the food chain to the bats.
I believe this merits immediate attention as you are aware of the import of bees and bats in agriculture. I would like to collaborate on a study to this end. I have been in touch with ARS/USDA with such concerns as they have developed a competitor to exclude aflatoxin producing Aspergillus on peanuts and my concern was they may be accidentally introducing a Gliotoxin producer. My investigation sadly led me to the Gliogard/Soilgard formulation that was well meant but a mistake from an ecosystem standpoint.
Please contact me so we can proceed with a plan of action to solve this problem.

Regards, Kerry Scott Lane MD KerrySLaneMD@att.net 561 706 9581

I was under the impression that Scott Darling issued that statement and posted that as such.

I agree, the information should be correct.