Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
(800) 654-4262

© 2024 Alabama Public Radio
Donate/Portal
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Disease Deadly to Bats Spreads to Alabama

Alabama Public Radio | By Associated Press
Published March 28, 2014 at 1:44 AM CDT
Hibernating Indiana bats, an already endangered species, show signs of "white-nose syndrome." (NPR)
Al Hicks
/
NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Hibernating Indiana bats, an already endangered species, show signs of "white-nose syndrome." (NPR)

Federal officials say a disease known to be fatal in bats has been found in two animals in the Bankhead National Forest in Lawrence County, north Alabama. U.S. Department of Agriculture officials said in a statement Thursday that two bats in the Armstrong and Backwards-Confusion caves tested positive for white-nose syndrome. USDA officials say white-nose syndrome is fungal growth around the muzzle and wings of hibernating bats that has quickly spread from New York and has been found as far south as Georgia and Alabama. Officials say the disease is a concern because bats are essential to the ecosystem and help control agricultural pests. USDA officials say the disease has contributed to the deaths of more than 6 million bats since it was first discovered in 2006.
Tags
Science & Health batswhite-nose syndrome
Associated Press
The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
See stories by Associated Press
News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.
Donate