Date Approved

2024

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department or School

Biology

Committee Member

Allen Kurta, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Cara Shillington, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Michael Angell, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Rodney Foster, M.S.

Abstract

Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) at Tippy Dam in Michigan have shown resilience to white-nose syndrome (WNS), which is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. This study evaluated the impact of environment (temperature and moisture), pathogen virulence, and host susceptibility on survival. Host response was assessed using temperature-sensitive radio transmitters (n = 37) and ultraviolet photography (n = 57), while fungal load (n = 56) was evaluated through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). High autumn temperatures (>10°C) favored growth of the fungus, while mid-hibernation temperature (3.2°C) was unfavorable. The mean torpor bout length (TBL) was similar to bats uninfected by WNS (16.8 days). Fungal loads were near the limit of detection (4.9 genome copies), and mean infection intensity (percent of wing area fluorescence) was low (0.02–0.14%) and much less when compared to severely affected populations. These findings suggest that some aspect of the environment is inhibiting virulence of the fungus at this unusual site.

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