Doses of ultraviolet light destroy the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, scientists say.
Mysterious cases of white-nose syndrome plague thousands of bats each year, frosting their snouts in toxic, white fungus. But researchers are fighting back against the dark reality—with light.
A new study, published January 2 in the journal Nature Communications, shows that ultraviolet rays, the light source behind black lights and sunburns, irreparably break down the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats. The study results might provide clues for how to stop the deadly pathogen that’s currently on a trajectory to decimate bat species throughout North America.
White-nose syndrome has wiped out an estimated 5.7 million bats since it was first discovered in a New York cave in 2006. The disease, caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, sprouts on the wings, muzzles, and ears of bats hibernating in the cold and dark caves of North America.
The fungus disturbs the bats during their winter hibernation and messes with their bodies’ chemistry. Frequent awakenings caused by the fungus deplete the mammals’ energy and make them too exhausted to survive.
Read more at National Geographic
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