White-nose syndrome (WNS) has devastated bat populations across large regions of northeast North America and threatens multiple species with extinction, but bats in Europe and Asia have persisted with this fungus for millenia. We will examine currently available and proposed interventions for managing WNS in light of data from endemic regions where hosts now persist with the pathogen.
Results/Conclusions
Potential management interventions include the development of probiotic bacteria from concept to a field trial, alterations of hibernacula environments to reduce fungal growth, culling, disinfection of contaminated hibernacula, vaccination, translocation of resistant or tolerant bats to sites where bats have been extirpated, and demographic augmentation. In WNS endemic regions, transmission intensity and pathogen growth were lower, likely due to higher host resistance to pathogen growth, and not due to differences in antibodies, host tolerance, lower transmission due to smaller populations, or lower environmentally-driven pathogen growth rate. This suggests that translocations of resistant (or tolerant) bats, and microclimate manipulations would be more effective long-term than vaccination, cleaning of hibernacula, and treatments. However, for species on a rapid trajectory to extinction, treatment and disinfection of hibernacula may be useful short-term strategies. We outline remaining hurdles to managing and restoring bat populations affected by WNS.