据10月30日的《科学》（Science）杂志报道说，研究人员已经在那些死于“白鼻综合症”的蝙蝠身上找到了白色的真菌。最近，白鼻综合症使得美国东北地区的蝙蝠种群被大批地杀灭。这些蝙蝠相继死亡的实际原因仍然不清楚，但这些在蝙蝠的口鼻部、耳朵和翼翅中发现的真菌与这些动物的死亡有关联。自从2006-2007年冬季以来，某些过冬地点的蝙蝠种群数减少了80-97%。这些蝙蝠的相继死亡很古怪，因为蝙蝠的免疫能力相当强，它们可以携带诸如狂犬病等疾病。蝙蝠死亡的后果特别糟糕，因为蝙蝠在昆虫控制、植物授粉和种子传播上都扮演着重要的角色。
在本期的Brevium中, David Blehert及其同事从100多个罹患白鼻综合症的蝙蝠（包括数个物种）身上获取了真菌样本。通过在实验室中培养该真菌，研究人员发现，这种真菌喜欢在寒冷的温度中生长，而较温暖的温度会抑制该真菌的感染。遗传学的分析表明，这种真菌属于Geomyces属，它包括在寒冷气候中殖生在动物皮肤上的其它种系的真菌，但该种真菌的外观与其它的Geomyces真菌不同。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
Science，DOI: 10.1126/science.1163874，David S. Blehert，Ward B. Stone
Bat White-Nose Syndrome: An Emerging Fungal Pathogen
David S. Blehert 1*, Alan C. Hicks 2, Melissa Behr 3, Carol U. Meteyer 1, Brenda M. Berlowski-Zier 1, Elizabeth L. Buckles 4, Jeremy T. H. Coleman 5, Scott R. Darling 6, Andrea Gargas 7, Robyn Niver 5, Joseph C. Okoniewski 2, Robert J. Rudd 8, Ward B. Stone 2
1 USGS – National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Rd., Madison, WI 53711, USA.
2 NY Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233, USA.
3 NY Department of Health, P.O. Box 22002, Albany, NY 12201, USA.; Present address: WI Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, 445 Easterday Ln., Madison, WI 53706, USA.
4 Cornell University, VRT T6008, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
5 US Fish and Wildlife Service, 3817 Luker Rd., Cortland, NY 13045, USA.
6 Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 271 North Main St., Rutland, VT 05701, USA.
7 Symbiology LLC, Middleton, WI 53562, USA.
8 NY Department of Health, P.O. Box 22002, Albany, NY 12201, USA.
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a condition associated with an unprecedented bat mortality event in the northeastern United States. Since the winter of 2006-2007, bat declines exceeding 75% have been observed at surveyed hibernacula. Affected bats often present with visually striking white fungal growth on their muzzles, ears, and/or wing membranes. Direct microscopy and culture analyses demonstrated that the skin of WNS-affected bats is colonized by a psychrophilic fungus that is phylogenetically related to Geomyces spp., but with a conidial morphology distinct from characterized members of this genus. This report characterizes the cutaneous fungal infection associated with WNS.
