B.C. scientists bracing for a deadly bat fungus
A little brown bat with white-nose syndrome.
(Photo: Al Hicks, New York Department of Environmental Conservation | CC BY 2.0)
May 15, 2023
CSFS Associate Dr. Matthew Mitchell (Land and Food Systems) and Aaron Aguirre (Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability) will spend the summer collecting data on bats in Metro Vancouver.
White-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease, has spread across Canada from the east and north from the U.S. and has killed millions of bats with a mortality rate of up to 95 per cent.
“The sooner we can get an idea of critical habitat areas, the better chance we have of monitoring and keeping track of these populations. And hopefully, monitoring the spread of white-nose syndrome,” Aaron Aguirre noted.