Outlook
The unceasing spread of WNS in North America and continuous loss of further animals adding to the millions of dead bats will not only result in a dramatic loss of biodiversity but also in unforeseen ecological and economical consequences.
Bats are one of the most significant nocturnal pest controls for agricultural- and forestry- related pest insects (Boyles et al. 2011). Moreover by foraging on crop pests, they suppress pest-associated fungal growth and mycotoxin in corn multiplying their economic value and service to mankind with an estimated money equivalent of more than one billion USD globally (Maine and Boyles 2015).The most urgent quest would be the mitigation of the infection. Several attempts were undertaken to find a solution for either treating the bats or decontaminating the cavernous hibernacula, but as wildlife settings are in sharp contrast to livestock husbandry, the management of an infectious disease caused by a spore-forming pathogen seems an unfathomable mission. The highly complex environment of cavernous ecosystems is particularly fragile, and the application of, e.g. disinfectants could lead to unpredictable negative consequences (Wibbelt 2015).
Still, many open questions remain regarding the exact pathological mechanisms from the initial infection and development of disease to finally the death of the chiropteran host, like why is the fungal infection limited to glabrous skin? Is the sheer extent of the lesions responsible for the mortality? And if so, is the affected area or the depth of invasion the crucial factor? If all bat carcasses of a hibernaculum struck by WNS would be histopathologically investigated—would they all show the highest possible severity score in wing membrane lesions? Would all animals be emaciated? And if not, what other factors would dominate the fatal outcome of the disease?
Numerous pieces of this big puzzle have been found and placed: some had to be replaced or relocated, others had to be entirely removed, and while the image's framework is clearly laid out, there still are many missing pieces waiting to be found.