Fatal Fungus Found in County
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Fatal Fungus Found in County
By Shane Gilreath
SCN Contributing Editor
[email protected]
Concerns over white-nose syndrome have resurfaced in East Tennessee following confirmation that the fungus responsible for the disease has spread to another county. Biologists conducting winter bat surveys at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area recently identified the fungus in Scott and McCreary Counties. The findings mark the first confirmed detection in either county.
The recent surveys are part of a long-term effort to track the progression of the disease and help wildlife officials better
Photo curtsey of www.whitenosesyndrome.org
develop plans for management and mitigation. While white-nose syndrome can spread through spores carried on clothing, footwear, and equipment, making human activity a significant risk factor, to reduce the possibility of transmission, deep caves and mines within the National Park remain closed to visitors. Similarly, caves owned by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency have been off-limits to the public since 2012.
The disease develops when a cold-adapted fungus grows on bats during hibernation, typically appearing on the nose and wing membranes. Infected bats awaken more frequently throughout the winter, depleting the fat reserves they rely on to survive until spring. Since its discovery in the United States in 2006, white-nose syndrome has spread rapidly, affecting 12 bat species and killing millions across North America.
Today, 29 states and five Canadian provinces are classified as WNS-positive, with the fungus also documented in three additional states. In Tennessee, it has already been confirmed in 52 of the 78 counties known to contain caves. Even with the continued spread, there are signs of resilience. In 2024, Dustin Thames, a biodiversity coordinator for TWRA, noted that tricolored bat numbers appear to be improving. Surveys suggest the species’ population may have increased by roughly 20 percent between 2021 and 2024, offering a measure of hope amid years of decline.
Tennessee supports 15 bat species statewide, 13 of which are found in parts of East Tennessee. Kentucky and Tennessee share nearly all of the same bat species, with only minor differences related to range edges. Two of those species are listed as endangered. Wildlife officials continue to emphasize that continued monitoring, public cooperation, and restricted cave access remain essential to protecting bat populations from further losses.
Additional information about white-nose syndrome and ongoing response efforts is available at whitenosesyndrome.org.
