Correction appended
As the deadly "white-nose" syndrome kills thousands of bats in the Northeast, Penn State Nittany Grotto members are taking precautions so the mysterious disease won't make their caving hobby impossible.
The Nittany Grotto has explored caves all over the East Coast since January 2007, but the white-nose syndrome in bats has recently resulted in the postponement or cancellation of many of its trips, said Samantha Lloyd, secretary of the club.
Nittany Grotto, a chapter of the National Speleological Society, started as a student organization in 1948. It currently has 11 members, some of whom maintain membership after graduation, according to Keith Wheeland, of State College and a Nittany Grotto member since 1952.
To contain white-nose syndrome, Nittany Grotto members decontaminate their gear with diluted bleach product after every cave journey to avoid transferring the fungus, Lloyd (junior-secondary mathematics education) said. The syndrome is not believed to be a threat to humans.
It is currently unknown why thousands of bats are mysteriously dying; often the dead bats have a white ring of fungus around their noses, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Web site, www.fws.gov. The white fungus has been spotted in places such as New York and Vermont and could threaten Pennsylvania bats in the next year, said Chris Sanders, wildlife biologist and member of the Nittany Grotto.
"We don't know if it is a bacteria, virus or fungus. We don't really know a lot about it," Sanders said.
Wheeland echoed the uncertainties surrounding the disease.
"No one knows what is causing the syndrome, so everyone is taking precautions," he said. "They don't know if it contagious, and there is so little information about it."
People are not considered susceptible to white-nose syndrome, but affected states are advising everyone to stay out of caves that might house bats.
"We closed one of the caves in Pennsylvania we have a key to, called Sharer Cave," Wheeland said. "It has a large bat colony, and we are just being cautious. Normally, it is open during summer; this year, only, we have closed it until we know more."
The mysterious disease started in a cave in Albany, N.Y., and has since killed 8,000 to 11,000 bats in that area alone, more than half the wintering bat population in those caves, according to the Web site.
Typically, a bat with white-nose syndrome will have a white fungus around its nose; it is unknown whether that fungus is a symptom or a cause itself, Sanders said. Bats are normally active at nighttime, but a bat affected with white-nose can be seen flying during the daytime and during its hibernation period, according to the Web site.
Bats are vulnerable to disease because more than 300 bats are packed per square foot when they are hibernating, and the Web site indicates that about 400,000 to 500,000 bats hibernate at each of the affected sites.
Pennsylvania has more than 1,000 caves, and bat populations are so concentrated that something contagious might decimate the species, Sanders said. He added Pennsylvania mostly has privately owned caves unlike some affected states, so it's up to landowners whether or not to shut down the caves.
Since the outbreak, cavers are trying to help the situation by coordinating with state biologists while environmental groups have petitioned the federal government to increase emergency funding to address the problem.
The high number of bat deaths also has economic implications because bats are the natural predators of many insect pests. The little brown bat alone can eat more than 600 insects in an hour. Bats can also pollinate plants and disperse seeds, according to the Web site.
"I hope it doesn't hit Pennsylvania," Lloyd said. "People aren't focusing on it, and there isn't enough attention on white-nose because people think it doesn't directly affect them."
This article incorrectly states the number of members in the Nittany Grotto caving club. The membership is 111.
