Bat Disease Still Spreading across Wisconsin

A fatal bat disease continues to spread across Wisconsin. 

The state Department of Natural Resources says over-winter surveillance shows white-nose syndrome or the fungus that causes it is now present in 14 counties, up from eight after over-winter surveillance that ended in 2015. 

The new counties include Douglas, Iron, Pierce, Manitowoc, Sauk and Green. 

Surveys showed a 94 percent drop in bat population at the Grant County mine where the disease was found in Wisconsin in 2014.  

More than 6 million bats across 28 states have died since white-nose syndrome was discovered in New York in 2006. 

The DNR has imposed decontamination procedures for cave-goers to prevent white-nose syndrome from spreading and added four bat species to the state’s threatened species list.