State authorities announced Monday that a fungal disease affecting hibernating bats called white-nose syndrome has been detected in New Mexico for the first time.
White-nose syndrome (WNS) has been detected in bats for the first time in New Mexico. Two dead bats have been tested positively for the disease and two live bats were found with wounds containing the fungal pathogen that causes WNS.
Authorities say a fungal disease of hibernating bats has been confirmed in New Mexico for the first time. The state Department of Game and Fish says samples from two live bats and two deceased bats were collected in late April from caves managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management in Lincoln and De Baca counties. Game and Fish officials say the two dead bats were confirmed with white-nose syndrome, caused by an invasive fungal pathogen that was previously detected in New Mexico in 2021. Evidence of the fungal disease had not been confirmed in the state until now.