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Fungus That Causes Deadly White-nose Syndrome In Bats Found In Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — A fungus that causes a deadly disease responsible for the death of millions of bats in the eastern United States, has been found in Utah. Wildlife officials noted that although the fungus was detected in Utah, the disease it causes, white-nose syndrome, has not.

The fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, was discovered on a Townsend's big-eared bat roosting in a mine at Canyonlands Park.

The fungus causes the deadly disease white-nose syndrome. It flourishes in cold temperatures and hibernating bats.

Kim Hersey with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said the fungus grows on their noses and wings.

"That infection really causes a loss of integrity in the skin," she said. "It compromises their balance of fluids and their ability to maintain their temperature … (it) can lead to dehydration and wing damage."

The bats wake up during the winter due to this irritation and use their energy stores to get the fungus off.

"And so they'll come up to the landscape looking for food, which is insects in Utah,"  she said. "Insects aren't there and they can ultimately starve or freeze to death."

The National Park Service said this deadly disease first was discovered in Australia in 1993, and then found in New York in 2006. It has since ravaged bat colonies in North America and Europe killing up to 99% of bats in affected colonies.

Hersey said in eastern states, two species of bats have been put on the endangered species list as a result of the disease.

"The third species, the little brown bat, is also in Utah, and in many spots, they've seen population declines over 90% as well," she said. "This is … a very common species. It can be found in houses and has a very wide range."

How serious is white-nose syndrome in Utah?

The DWR is still unsure how the fungus or subsequent white-nose syndrome will impact bats in Utah.

According to Hersey, bats in the west tend to hibernate in much smaller groups than those in the east. She's hopeful white-nose won't impact Utah's bats as much.

Utah wildlife specialists are not surprised by the spread of the fungus and white-nose syndrome. Both have been detected in several surrounding states.

There are 18 different bat species in Utah, 13 of them hibernate. Seven of those are at risk of being impacted by white-nose syndrome.

What you need to know

White-nose syndrome is not transmissible to humans, according to the NPS. But there are a few things to keep in mind if you visit caves or mines.

"If you see dead bats from, probably, December through April, please contact the Utah Division of Wildlife and we'll come check it out," Hersey said.

For people visiting caves and mines, the White-Nose Syndrome Response Team website provides information on decontaminating gear to avoid spreading the fungus.

Related: Hundreds of bats discovered and removed from Highland High We want to hear from you.

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Dermatologist Shares Unlikely Cure For 'crumbly Toenail Fungus' And Feet Problems

Dr. Neera, a dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon who is a graduate of Harvard, recently posted a video to TikTok in which she shared one of her favorite personal hygiene hacks with her followers

You can treat infections with a common item (

Image: Getty Images)

Most of us will experience a fungal nail infection at some point in our lives. It's not a pretty sight, causing nails to thicken, darken and become misshapen.

Typically, doctors prescribe treatments like oral anti-fungal drugs, but these can have side effects. However, if you can't get to the doctor for a prescription, there's another remedy that patients swear by.

Dr. Neera, a Harvard-trained dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon, recently shared one of her top tips for body care.

In a TikTok video posted to her 421,700 followers, she revealed: "Here's a personal hygiene hack that I won't gatekeep as a dermatologist."

Showing a picture of a nasty-looking toenail, she continued: "If you have cheesy, crumbly toenail fungus, use Vicks." Holding up a tub of the product for clarity, she added: "That's right, the same vapour rub your mum put on your chest when you had a cold."

Dr. Neera explained further: "It has antifungal properties and can get rid of stubborn nail fungus on your fingers and toes. Apply this on any infected nail to be fungus-free. You can thank me later."

Vicks VapoRub contains camphor, eucalyptus oil, and menthol, which are believed to inhibit the growth of certain fungi.

In the comments, Dr. Neera advised it should be applied daily to affected nails - six months for fingernails and 12 months for toenails.

People tuning in were thrilled with the proffered tip, with heaps of viewers noting they'd used it previously. One satisfied viewer responded: "This is great! Thank you so much for sharing."

An additional person commented: "I second that! Vicks rules! As a nail tech I tell this to all my ladies with that problem and it works."

Another user chimed in: "Several days, improvement. I filed the nail gently and applied the oil every day. As the nail grew I trimmed, gently filed and applied the tea tree oil let it dry then Aquaphor to moisturise."

Do you have a story to share? Email eve.Wagstaff@reachplc.Com

Fungal Skin Disease Burden Has Increased Globally From 1990 To 2021

The global burden of fungal skin diseases has increased from 1990 to 2021, particularly in underdeveloped regions and among vulnerable populations aged 5 to 9 years and those older than 95 years, according to study results published in Mycoses.

Researchers obtained data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study to evaluate the global, regional, and national trends in the incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with fungal skin diseases. Joinpoint regression was used to assess temporal trends, and Spearman rank test was used to explore correlations between disease burden and factors like socioeconomic status and climate change.

Globally, incident cases of fungal skin diseases increased by 67.93%, from 1.03 billion in 1990 to 1.73 billion in 2021, with a corresponding increase in DALYs by 66.77% from 2.06 million to 3.43 million. The global prevalent cases also increased by 67.73%. The global age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) slightly increased from 20,886.86 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 21,668.40 per 100,000 in 2021 (average annual percent change [AAPC], 11.71%; 95% CI, 11.03%-12.39%). Both the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) and the age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR) exhibited similar global upward trends.

Regionally, South Asia had the highest incident cases (340.9 million), prevalent cases (112 million), and DALYs (624,823) in 2021. Further, Western Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest ASIR (39,705.22 per 100,000 population), ASPR (17516.41 per 100,000 population), and ASDR (97.72 per 100,000 population) in 2021.

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As global warming intensifies and the population experiences an aging trend, the burden of fungal skin diseases is anticipated to escalate in the future.

Nationally, Ethiopia had the highest ASIR (47,244.75 per 100,000 population) in 2021, while the United States had the lowest age-standardized rates.

The age standardized rates of fungal skin diseases were negatively correlated with the socio-demographic index (SDI) for all 3 measures (ρASIR, −0.493; ρASPR, -0.485; ρASDR, -0.487; all P <.001). Incident cases, prevalent cases, and DALYS were positively correlated with global temperature increases (correlation coefficient of 0.916). These results suggested that regions with lower SDI and higher temperatures face a greater burden of fungal skin diseases.

In terms of age and sex, men had slightly higher ASIRs than women. Per 100,000 people, the ASIR for men increased from 21,472.06 in 1990 to 22,238.63 in 2021 (AAPC, 11.45%; 95% CI, 10.95%-11.95%) and from 20,263.46 in 1990 to 21,066.02 in 2021 (AAPC, 11.99%; 95% CI, 11.27%-12.71%) for women. The overall burden of fungal skin diseases was highest in children aged 5 to 9 years, and age standardized rates peaked in individuals over 95 years of age.

Study limitations include potential problems with data integrity, circulation, and quality. Additionally, limited medical resources and public awareness of skin diseases may affect fungal skin disease diagnosis in countries with low levels of development. Finally, all potential factors influencing the burden of fungal skin diseases were not analyzed.

The researchers concluded, "As global warming intensifies and the population experiences an aging trend, the burden of fungal skin diseases is anticipated to escalate in the future. Therefore, controlling the ongoing burden of fungal skin diseases requires the formulation of integrated interventions that prioritize the highest risk groups, including young children and the elderly population." 

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