Important Notice:
PLEASE CLEAN & DECONTAMINATE
YOUR CAVE GEAR
To help contain the spread of the deadly bat disease called White Nose Syndrome (WNS) by humans, here are the most recent protocols for cleaning and decontamination of cave clothing and gear.
WNS is currently making its way
acorss the country from its origin in New York state.
The
fungus,
Pseudogymnoascus
destructans (Pd), has also been found in Europe and
China. Some species of bat seem resistant to the disease
and some are seeing mortality of up to 98%.
Clothing
and gear used within the 37
states (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin),
and 7 Canadian Provinces (Manitoba, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec) should not be transported or used outside of that region, as USFWS advises.
View the WNS-infected states here.
For more info in White Nose Syndrome go here.
