White-nose Syndrome Disease Treatment Messaging
From the White-nose Syndrome Communications and Outreach Working Group
We’ve seen the headlines: “Cure for White-Nose Syndrome in Bats may be Imminent.”
Traditional and social media show us that people really want good news about our battle against
white-nose syndrome. So much so that they sometimes get our story wrong. What are we to do?
While we can’t control what the media hears, we can control what we say, which is why the
White-nose Syndrome Communications and Outreach Working Group developed messages to
help you talk to your colleagues, elected officials, media and the public about what we’re
collectively doing regarding disease management and treatments for white-nose syndrome.
Our working group, comprised of representatives from federal and state agencies and nongovernmental groups, created these messages with the help of a professional communicator, who
posed the following question:
What do people need to know about the white-nose syndrome disease treatment situation
at this time?
From this, we developed draft messages and revised them based on feedback from members of
our working group and comments from the white-nose syndrome national response team who
were on a regularly scheduled teleconference call on July 9, 2015. We also presented them at a
white-nose syndrome disease treatment workshop on July 28, 2015, where we developed
messages about the workshop.
If you talk to the public, please use the messages on pages 2-3 of this document to help us speak
in a unified voice about white-nose syndrome disease treatments. We developed four main
messages and borrowed a fifth from our previous efforts. These messages, along with supporting
points, are for audiences without a scientific background.
You know your audiences best, so please use the messages that you think will resonate with
those with whom you communicate!
If you have questions or comments about these messages, please contact me or a member of the
White-nose Syndrome Communication Working Team (listed at the end of this document).
Catherine J. Hibbard
National White-nose Syndrome Communications Leader
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region
300 Westgate Center Drive
Hadley, MA 01035-9589
(413) 253-8569 (office)
(413) 531-4276 (cell)
[email protected]
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August 3, 2015
White-nose Syndrome Disease Treatment Messaging
From the White-nose Syndrome Communications and Outreach Working Group
1. States, non-governmental organizations, federal agencies, academic institutions and
international organizations are working together and assessing a variety of disease
treatment and management options for white-nose syndrome (WNS).
1.1. This work continues collaboration in the response to WNS, which is guided by a national
plan.
1.1.1. This science-based plan includes disease management and treatments.
2. In less than a decade we have made substantial progress in understanding WNS.
Potential disease treatments and management tools continue to be a major focus.
2.1. We identified and classified WNS, learned how the disease works and kills bats and
directed more than $25 million toward research, including disease treatments.
2.2. Several disease treatments have shown good results in the laboratory, with some field
trials beginning in 2015.
2.2.1. Disease treatments need to be safe for bats, other species and the environment.
They must not harm natural places (the broader ecosystem).
2.2.2. We are hopeful that some disease treatments will reduce impacts on bats and help
stabilize or increase bat populations. Because most bats affected by WNS have only
one pup per year, we expect population recovery to be a slow process.
2.2.3. The fungus that causes WNS is difficult to eliminate, so we do not expect to find
a single cure for the disease. However, using a combination of effective disease
treatments and management actions should reduce impacts on bats.
2.2.4. Some disease treatments that show promise include: bacteria and fungi that inhibit
the growth of the fungus; genetic changes to decrease harmful effects of the disease;
vaccines; anti-fungal chemicals; and modification of mines where bats hibernate (air
flow, temperature and humidity).
3. Our coalition has made incredible progress to date, but there is more to be done. At a
July 2015 workshop we brought together about 45 partners from more than 20
agencies, universities and organizations to develop a plan to continue to move forward
together.
3.1. The vision for WNS disease treatment and management is: Ensure the persistence of all
bat species on the continent against the threat of WNS through effective disease
treatment and management.
3.2. Disease management goals:
3.2.1. Increase survival of individual bats and persistence of colonies and stop or slow
the spread of the fungus that causes WNS at the leading edge of disease.
3.2.2. Prevent the arrival of the fungus that causes WNS in non-affected areas while
preparing for its potential arrival.
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White-nose Syndrome Disease Treatment Messaging
From the White-nose Syndrome Communications and Outreach Working Group
3.2.3. Avoid or minimize collateral impacts of our actions on other non-target species,
subterranean ecosystems, the environment (water, air, soil, etc.) and humans.
3.2.4. Deploy disease management tools.
3.2.5. Expand our knowledge of transmission, treatment, application and locations for
deployment.
3.2.6. Increase communication and connection.
3.3. Workshop outcomes:
3.3.1. A summary of current and potential disease management and treatment options,
including evaluation tools to help assess different options according to factors such
as their effectiveness, cost, time to readiness, environmental impact, etc.
3.3.2. A strategy to guide potential disease management and treatment efforts,
including:
3.3.2.1.
An outline for a treatment development protocol including regulatory
guidance to ensure that treatments are safe for bats, non-target animals and the
environment.
3.3.2.2.
Draft guidance for engaging states in developing and carrying out disease
management and treatment actions.
3.3.2.3.
A regional approach to disease management where disease treatments and
management actions vary according to the extent that areas have been affected
by WNS: where the fungus that causes WNS has not yet been detected, the
leading edge of the disease where the fungus has been detected without yet
affecting bats, and areas where WNS has caused significant mortality in bats.
3.3.2.4.
Priorities for disease management and treatment actions.
3.3.3. A commitment by partners to continue developing workshop products to guide
development and use of WNS disease treatment and management actions in the
future.
4. Prevention of human-assisted spread of WNS remains an important way to protect bats
from WNS.
4.1. Spores of the fungus that causes WNS persist for years. The microscopic spores could be
transported, possibly infecting unexposed bats or re-infecting treated bats.
4.2. Follow decontamination guidelines to keep your gear, equipment shoes and clothes free
of the fungus that causes WNS.
4.3. Clean your gear before and after entering bat roosts.
4.4. Respect cave and mine closures.
5. Why should you care?
5.1. Bats are fascinating animals that are vital for a healthy environment, eating tons of
insects nightly, benefitting our crops, our forests and us.
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White-nose Syndrome Disease Treatment Messaging
From the White-nose Syndrome Communications and Outreach Working Group
5.2. Every year bats save us billions of dollars in pest control by simply eating insects.
5.3. Bats are economically valuable. Some research suggests that bats could save agriculture
more than 3 billion dollars in pest control every year simply by eating insects.
5.4. Bats are our primary nighttime insect predators. They can eat up to half of their body
weight in insects in one night! [Use a human analogy for how much food this is.] They
eat forest and crop pests as well as human pests (mosquitoes).
5.5. Bats pollinate a variety of flowering plants and spread seeds that grow new plants.
5.6. Studying bats has led to advancements in science and medicine, including information
on hearing (sonar), the immune system (vaccine development) and basics like how blood
coagulates.
Members of the White-Nose Syndrome Communications and Outreach Working Group
Kristy Burnett
National Park Service
[email protected]
Victoria M Campbell
Cornell University
[email protected]
Jeremy Coleman
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
[email protected]
Katelin Craven
[email protected]
Jennifer Foote
National Speleological Society
[email protected]
Sandra Frost
U.S. Forest Service
[email protected]
Katie Gillies
Bat Conservation International - Liaison to
Conservation & Recovery WG
[email protected]
M. Camille Harris
U.S. Geological Survey
[email protected]
Catherine Hibbard
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Leader
[email protected]
Joe Hoyt
University of California, Santa Cruz Liaison to Disease Management WG
[email protected]
Micaela Jemison
Bat Conservation International
[email protected]
Dianne Joop
National Cave and Karst Research Institute
[email protected]
Annie Kassler
Maine Bat Educator
[email protected]
Heidi Kretser
Wildlife Conservation Society
[email protected]
Kate Langwig
University of California, Santa Cruz Liaison to Epidemiology and Ecology WG
[email protected]
Marisa Lubeck
U.S. Geological Survey, Deputy Leader
[email protected]
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White-nose Syndrome Disease Treatment Messaging
From the White-nose Syndrome Communications and Outreach Working Group
Sara Melena
National Park Service
[email protected]
Rob Mies
Organization for Bat Conservation
[email protected]
Kevin Olival
EcoHealth Alliance - Liaison to the
Stakeholder Committee
[email protected]
Jeffrey Olson
National Park Service
[email protected]
Noelle Rayman
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
[email protected]
Jonathan Reichard
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
[email protected]
Gail Moede Rogall
U.S. Geological Survey - Liaison to
Diagnostics WG
[email protected]
Cynthia Sandeno
U.S. Forest Service
[email protected]
Jo Schaper
Geo Communications Services
[email protected]
Jordi Segers
[email protected]
Elizabeth Slown
Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health
Centre, National WNS Coordinator, Canada
U.S. Forest Service
Kyle Sullivan
Bureau of Land Management
[email protected]
Danielle Todd
Organization for Bat Conservation
[email protected]
Eugene Vale
Missouri State Parks
[email protected]
Carol Zokaites
Virginia Department of Conservation and
Recreation
[email protected]
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[email protected]