An experimental test of energy and electrolyte supplementation as a mitigation strategy for white-nose syndrome

Conservation Physiology
Liam P McGuireCraig K R Willis

Abstract

Fungi are increasingly recognised as harmful pathogens of wildlife. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that has killed millions of hibernating bats in North America. High mortality has driven research to identify management strategies for the disease. Increased energy expenditure and fat depletion, as well as fluid loss, hypotonic dehydration and electrolyte depletion appear to be key aspects of WNS pathophysiology. Bats with WNS spend energy too quickly and also lose fluids containing water and electrolytes from lesions on exposed skin surfaces. During periodic arousals, bats often drink water but, in most of the WNS-affected area, food is not available during winter and, therefore, they cannot maintain energy balance or replace lost electrolytes. Therefore, providing a liquid caloric/electrolyte/nutrient supplement could be useful for treating WNS. We studied captive, hibernating little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) to test whether providing supplemental energy and electrolytes (a 1:1 dilution of unflavoured Pedialyte) to hibernating bats could reduce severity of WNS symptoms and increase survival. Infected bats in the Pedialyte-supplemented group generally avoided the Pedialyte and preferentially drank plain water...Continue Reading

References

Nov 1, 2008·Science·David S BlehertWard B Stone
Nov 9, 2010·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Thomas G Hallam, Gary F McCracken
Jul 12, 2011·Integrative and Comparative Biology·Craig K R WillisMichal S Wojciechowski
Apr 12, 2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Lisa WarneckeCraig K R Willis
Apr 14, 2012·Nature·Matthew C FisherSarah J Gurr
Apr 10, 2013·Journal of Wildlife Diseases·Paul M CryanKevin T Castle
Mar 10, 2016·EcoHealth·Liam P McGuireCraig K R Willis
Mar 7, 2017·Ecology and Evolution·Riley F Bernard, Gary F McCracken
Aug 3, 2017·Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology·Heather W MayberryCraig K R Willis
Aug 25, 2017·American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology·Liam P McGuireCraig K R Willis

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
PCR

Software Mentioned

R
iButtons
Pedialyte

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