Credit: C Voigt/Leibniz-IZW
What are the reasons for such a contrast in outcomes? A scientist team led by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) has now analysed the humoral innate immune defence of European greater mouse-eared bats to the fungus. In contrast to North American bats, European bats have sufficient baseline levels of key immune parameters and thus tolerate a certain level of infection throughout hibernation. The results are published in the journal "
Developmental and Comparative Immunology".
During infections caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), North American bats arouse frequently from hibernation to trigger a more elaborate immune response, whereas European bats remain dormant, owing, as the new results reveal, to their competent baseline immunity. Not being able to deal with the fungus by baseline immunity causes North American bats to deplete fat stores before the end of winter bnecause of the need for additional and energetically expensive arousals, which ultimately leads to their starvation. European bats may also arouse once in a while when infected but their strong baseline immunity allows them to balance the tight energy budget better during winter hibernation.