Bat Conservation International and four partners are
cosponsoring an urgent meeting of scientists to explore the
mysterious malady that is killing tens of thousands of
hibernating bats in the northeastern United States. The “Science
Strategy Meeting,” in Albany, New York, this June, is to examine
the latest facts and hypotheses concerning the cause of bat die-
offs linked to what’s being called “white-nose syndrome” – and
to identify the most promising approaches for vital scientific
investigation. Entire bat species are potentially at risk if
scientists cannot solve this puzzle soon. White-nose syndrome
(WNS), named for a white fungus found on the faces of some
affected bats, has been reported since the winter of 2006-7 in
New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and possibly
Pennsylvania. Mortality rates of up to 95 percent have been
documented in some populations hit by WNS. Five bat species are
affected by the syndrome, with little brown myotis hit the
hardest. Endangered Indiana myotis also are takin