Hibernation temperature affects the intensity of a fungal infection in bats.

What is it about?

Many factors determine disease progression in wildlife and it is useful to be able to predict not only where disease will occur but also where it will affect animals the worst. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease found in caves that is devastating American bats but is tolerated by European bats. Temperature is important for bat hibernation and also affects both the rate of fungal growth, the infection intensity and disease severity.

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Why is it important?

Wild bats that hibernated at lower temperatures had less fungal growth and fewer skin lesions on their wings. A predictive Palearctic map created shows not only where the fungus will be, but also where the infection in the bats will be the most invasive. This approach allows resources to be focused on the worst affected areas and is a method that could be used for other wildlife diseases