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Thousands of bat deaths are occurring in the United States Northeast. Scientists have been struggling to find out the reason why. Last year, thousands of dead bats were found in 4 separate caves that were 7 miles apart from each other.
Some people and scientists are worried that the die off might be similar to the mysterious honeybee die off.
Scientists are also worried that the die off might be attributed to a changing natural world. If millions of bats do die off, then it would seriously affect a chain in the ecosystem in unforeseen ways. Bats consume thousands of pounds of insects per year. If those balances are thrown off, the insect population could put a further hamper on crops and also could spread more diseases among humans.
Now, dozens of pathologists, immunologists, toxicologists, wildlife biologists, and other researchers in more than 15 government, university, and private labs are methodically working to unravel the bat mystery. Government grants are being written to fund more in-depth work. Scientists are using cutting-edge technology, from heat-detecting cameras in muddy bat caves to DNA analysis in sterile labs. Even a Columbia University molecular epidemiologist who discovered a possible contributor to the bee colony collapse has joined the sleuthing.
Scientists have called this sickness "white nose syndrome" because most of the bats that died or are sick have white noses as a symptom. Please spread the word about the bats in Northeast to create awareness so that more funding can go towards solving this serious issue. Thanks.
theenvironmentalblog.org/2008/05/bat-deaths-in-northeast.html [theenvironmentalblog.org/2008/05/bat-deaths-in-northeast.html]
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