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Fungus that causes white-nose syndrome found in Laurens CountyMay 17, 2017

The fungus that causes the devastating bat disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) was recently found in Laurens County.

White-nose syndrome, which has decimated some bat species in the Northeast, was confirmed in South Carolina in March 2013.

White-nose syndrome, which has decimated some bat species in the Northeast, was confirmed in South Carolina in March 2013.

As of May 2017, the list of WNS suspect counties in South Carolina includes Greenville, Union, Lancaster and Laurens counties. Current WNS positive counties have not changed since 2014, and include Oconee, Pickens and Richland counties.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) recently received confirmation from the National Wildlife Health Center that the fungus was present on a bat in Laurens County. This county will be added to the list of counties where the fungus has been found in the state, known as WNS suspect counties. WNS suspect means the fungus is present, but no clinical signs of the disease were observed on the bats. WNS positive counties are those where the fungus is present and live or dead bats there have shown signs of being infected by the disease, such as wing damage and fungus growth on the muzzle and/or wings.

WNS, which has decimated some bat species in the Northeast, was confirmed in South Carolina in March 2013. For more information on WNS, visit https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/bats/batswns.html.

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