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White-Nose Syndrome in Breckinridge Could Threaten Area Populations

Little brown bat; close-up of nose with fungus
Ryan von Linden
/
New York Department of Environmental Conservation
Little brown bat; close-up of nose with fungus

Wildlife officials say the fatal fungus called white nose syndrome affecting bats across the U.S. has been confirmed in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. It was discovered in Trigg County in April, but the three sites in Breckinridge County indicate that the disease is spreading in the commonwealth. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biologist Andy Randomski says biologists at the Clarks River Wildlife Refuge in our region have been working to monitor bat populations in the area and hopefully prevent the spread into this area.

“ We have a lot of caves in this region. Basically from Trigg County up to Muhlenberg. Lots of caves, lots of bats that hibernate, and in about another month or two a lot of these bats are going to be leaving their caves and going to maternity sites.”

Randomski says the syndrome will spread even more in this area once the bats get to those maternity sites. White nose syndrome has been known to have a 98-100% mortality rate for infected caves. Kentucky is the newest of the sixteen U.S. states confirmed to have the fungus.

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