| Geomyces destructans | |
|---|---|
| In white nose syndrome, Geomyces destructans can be found growing on the muzzle, wing, and ear of bats, in this case, a little brown bat. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Phylum: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Leotiomycetes |
| Order: | Helotiales |
| Family: | Myxotrichaceae |
| Genus: | Geomyces |
| Species: | G. destrucans |
| Binomial name | |
| Geomyces destructans Blehert & Gargas (2009) |
|
Geomyces destructans is a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus which causes White nose syndrome (WNS), a fatal disease that has decimated bat populations in parts of the US. Unlike other species of Geomyces, Geomyces destructans forms asymmetrically curved conidia.[1] Geomyces destructans grows very slowly in artificial media and cannot grow at temperatures above 24 °C.[2][1] It has optimal growth around 4 °C to 15 °C, which is about the same temperature of winter bat hibernacula.[2][1]
Regarding etymology, "destructans" means "destroying".[1]
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Geomyces destructans is the cause of the deadly white-nose syndrome in bats. [3] The fungus was definitively identified as the cause of the syndrome in bats, according to research published in 2011 by scientists at the United States Geological Survey. It was previously unknown whether Geomyces destructans was the primary cause of WNS or was an opportunistic pathogen associated with the disease, though strong evidence suggested that the fungus was the etiologic agent.[2][4] Though it has mostly been found in bats in northeastern United States, this fungus is also infects bats in Europe. In 2010, Geomyces destructans was found in Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary in five species of bats.[5] Also in 2010, it was reported that Geomyces destructans was widespread in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.[6] It has also been found on a bat in France.[4]
In WNS, the hyphae and conida of the fungus can be found on the bat's snout, wing membrane, and/or ears.[1] The fungus can penetrate into the hair follicles and sebaceous glands,[1] and lead to ulcers in the skin.[7]
In 2008, Blehart et al. described the fungus associated with white nose syndrome as a member of the genus Geomyces.[8] In 2009, Gargas et al. were the first to describe the fungus as a unique species.[1]
In North America, Geomyces destructans has been found to infect at least six species of bats, including the little brown (Myotis lucifugus), the northern long-eared (Myotis septentrionalis), the big brown (Eptesicus fuscus), the tricolored (Perimyotis subflavus), the eastern small-footed (Myotis leibii), and the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis).[5][1]