First case of deadly bat disease confirmed in Washington

A sick bat discovered by hikers near Seattle had white-nose syndrome, the first recorded occurrence of the devastating bat disease in the West.

White-nose syndrome has killed more than six million bats in North America since it was first documented on the East Coast nearly a decade ago.

“We are extremely concerned about the confirmation of (white-nose syndrome) in Washington state, about 1,300 miles from the previous western most detection of the fungus that causes the disease,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe said Thursday. “Bats are a crucial part of our ecology and provide essential pest control for our farmers, foresters and city residents.”

On March 11, hikers found the sick bat about 30 miles east of Seattle near North Bend, and took it to Progressive Animal Welfare Society for care. The bat died two days later, and had visible symptoms of a skin infection common in bats with white-nose syndrome.

The bat was a little brown bat, and the infection was verified by the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center.

“The bat found near North Bend most likely had been roused from hibernation and was attempting to feed at a time of very low insect availability,” said Katie Haman, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife veterinarian. “At this point we don’t know where the infected bat may have spent the winter, but it seems likely that it was somewhere in the central Cascades.”

Federal and state wildlife officials will be conducting surveillance in the area to determine the extent of the disease-causing fungus, which is transmitted primarily from bat to bat, although people can carry fungal spores on their clothing, shoes or caving gear.

White-nose syndrome not known to pose a threat to humans, pets, livestock or other wildlife.