First Montana Case of White-Nose Syndrome Detected in Fallon County Bat

MILES CITY – A myotis bat, found dead in Fallon County in southeastern Montana, has been confirmed positive for white-nose syndrome.

The bat was sent to the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisc., for analysis. It tested positive for Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats. A pathologist also confirmed characteristic WNS lesions in the skin of the bat.

Biologists with Fish, Wildlife & Parks have been closely monitoring for WNS in recent years as part of an effort to track the impacts of the disease once it ar...