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See also: Wildlife Diseases in Alberta for more fact sheets

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease that is identified by the telltale white fungus growing on the noses of some infected bats while they hibernate. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is asking the public to report the sighting of any active or dead bats during winter. Please call 208-454-7638 to report sightings. Idaho Fish and Game would also like to know of any sites that have hibernating bats so biologists can include them in the monitoring effort. Finally, the public is asked to not disturb hibernating bats and to respect cave closures.

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an infectious disease responsible for unprecedented levels of mortality among hibernating bats in North America. WNS was first detected in Indiana in January 2011 during routine winter hibernacula surveys conducted by Division of Fish and Wildlife bat biologists. WNS is widely distributed throughout much of the karst region in south-central Indiana and locally established within most of the state's major concentrations of important bat hibernacula.

Science conducted by the USGS and the White-nose Syndrome (WNS) Response Team. Our scientists are tracking the fungus as it spreads and characterizing the effects of WNS on hibernating bat populations in North America.

White-nose syndrome has killed over 90% of northern long-eared, little brown and tri-colored bat populations in fewer than 10 years, according to a new study published in Conservation Biology. Researchers also noted declines in Indiana bat and big brown bat populations. The findings, detailed in "The scope and severity of white-nose syndrome on hibernating bats in North America," underscore the devastating impacts of the deadly fungal disease. The research tapped into the most comprehensive data set on North American bat populations to date, which includes data from over 200 locations in 27 states and two Canadian provinces.

Provides contact information for staff in federal agencies.

See the current Spread Map from August 1, 2025, and the states and provinces where WNS has been confirmed.

White-nose Syndrome is a mysterious disease that is killing bats across the northeast United States. Many research projects are underway to help in the fight against WNS, from researching fungicides to modeling the spread and effects of the syndrome. If you would like to help, there are many ways in which you can:

• Report any unusual bat activity (bats flying in the daytime) or unexplained bat deaths to your regional TWRA office. Or check out the Report a Bat Link on this website.
• Donate to a number of funds collecting money for WNS research (see National Speleological Society and Bat Conservation International pages below).
• Adhere to state and federal cave closure advisories.
• Encourage state and federal agencies to assist in WNS research and monitoring activities.

To tackle devastating crop diseases, Africa should boost regional plant surveillance, writes Mustafa O. Jibrin. Recently, a tomato insect pest, Tuta absoluta, swept across Nigeria, devastating tomato fields and leading to immeasurable financial losses and emotional trauma. T. absoluta originated from the Andean region in South America. The invasive nature of T. absoluta and its resistance to conventional insecticides make it difficult to control. If not handled properly, the effect of this pest could hold the continent's agriculture hostage.

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Invasive species spread either accidental or intentional into new environments has resulted in negative impacts to the ecological communities of infested areas, to commercial, agricultural, aquacultural, and recreational activities dependent on these areas.