White-Nose Syndrome Confirmed in Italy: A Preliminary Assessment of Its Occurrence in Bat Species
Laura Garzoli | Elena Bozzetta | Katia Varello | Andrea Cappelleri | Elena Patriarca | Paolo Debernardi | Marco Riccucci | Angela Boggero | Carolina Girometta | Anna Maria Picco
Although no mass mortality has been recorded so far, the precise demographic effect of white-nose syndrome (WNS) on European bats still remains to be ascertained. Following the first isolation of <i>P. destructans</i> in Italy, further surveys were performed to assess the distribution of the fungus in NW Italy and its effects on bats. Data were collected from March 2019 to April 2020 at sites used for hibernation (six sites) and/or for reproduction (four sites) in Piedmont and Aosta Valley. A total of 138 bats, belonging to 10 species, were examined to identify clinical features possibly related to the fungal presence. Culture from swabs and the molecular identification of isolates confirmed the presence of <i>P. destructans</i> in bats from five sites, including two maternal roosts. Dermal fungal infiltration, the criterion to assess the presence of WNS, was observed in biopsies of bats belonging to <i>Myotis blythii</i>, <i>M. daubentonii</i>, <i>M. emarginatus</i> and <i>M. myotis</i>. This is the first report of the disease in Italy. The results suggest a greater susceptibility to the infection of the genus <i>Myotis</i> and particularly of <i>M. emarginatus</i>, possibly due to the long length of its hibernation period. Other fungal dermatophytes were also observed.
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