Yep. But, that is the only huge example I know of. The point has recently been made to me, that if the method of testing for the OK bat gave an error, it is now unclear how accurate any of the data on the spread from those years can be. The rumors of "suspicious jumps" are now even harder to document accurately. We will never know for sure how that first bat got infected, so I personally think of human spread as possible but unlikely. We know WNS is spread bat-to-bat and bat-to-cave-to-bat. Biologists can collect spores on gear placed in caves. We know cleaning our gear will reduce the possibility of human transmission of this or future cave impacts, and other than donating to the http://www.caves.org/WNS/Rapid_Response.shtml research fund, is about the only feel good thing most cavers can do. (Sorry for the shameless plug.) Though Indiana's bats didn't die immediately after 2007 convention, it could be for regional bat roost reasons not related to whether or not humans brought it there. Though lots of research has been done in the last few years, we still don't really have published proof of how it is spread or why some bats die and some don't. If you go to Convention this year, please decon before and after, and in between. Whatever the local requirements are, the local hibernating bats will appreciate your efforts. No matter how the public interprets the science, agencies still have the right to manage their lands how they see fit. As far as I can find, they have no requirement to ask us for advice. Cavers and agencies have to learn how to respect each other in order to move towards our common goals of saving the bats, saving the caves(for some agencies), and (for even less agencies) considering recreation as a resource. I would like to state politely that I feel this needs to be a two way street of respect and information.
Jen. > Date: Tue, 13 May 2014 16:37:23 -0400 > To: s...@caver.net > From: mmin...@caver.net > Subject: Re: [SWR] Oklahoma removed from list of suspected bat fungus areas > > I have pointed this out before, but it bears repeating. > Humans _must_ not be a very good vector for transmitting WNS because > the NSS Convention was held in Indiana in 2007, the year after WNS > appeared in the Northeast. No one was doing decon then, and there > were surely cavers from affected areas caving in Indiana during the > convention. Nevertheless it took over 2 years before WNS showed up in > Indiana, much more in line with patterns of bat migrations and the > natural spread of WNS south and west from New England. If humans were > a good vector, it would have jumped to Indiana immediately. > > Mark > > At 01:58 PM 5/13/2014, michael queen wrote: > >I have a hard time seeing humans as a significant vector in the > >spread of WNS, and have seen no evidence that supports this as a > >reality, not just a possibility. This includes the initial jump > >across the Atlantic. If humans are a minor factor in the spread then > >we may expect the disease to run its course as it is spread by major > >vectors (bat-to-bat). Likewise, where lands in the southeast are > >owned by a number of entities (USFS, NPS, state lands, private > >lands, etc), closing any one could not possibly contain the disease. > >What is as disturbing as the rapid spread of WNS is the seeming bias > >introduced in its study. We hear repeatedly how humans are a vector > >even as they ignore any and all suggestions to the contrary, as for > >instance the paper on geographic translocation in bats. > > Please reply to mmin...@caver.net > Permanent email address is mmin...@illinoisalumni.org > > _______________________________________________ > SWR mailing list > s...@caver.net > http://lists.caver.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/swr > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided free as a courtesy of CAVERNET
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