WHITE NOSE DECOMTAMINATION: Some Texas caves are 
being closed ... find out why on Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Texas Parks and Wildlife Executive Director Carter Smith 
issued an executive order last month giving authority to 
close caves on Parks and Wildlife property to protect bats 
from the spread of White Nose Syndrome.

03 -- White Nose is this really mysterious disease.

Mylea (MUH-lee-uh) Bayless is a conservation biologist 
with Bat Conservation International. White Nose -- or 
geomyces (GEO-mice-eez) destructans -- is fatal to bats 
and named for a white fungus found on the muzzles and 
wings of infected bats. 

07 -- It's killing up to 90 to 100 percent of the bats when it hits 
hibernacula, which is a cave or mine where the bats hibernate.

Though bats can spread the disease among themselves, 
humans coming from infected bat caves and roosts can 
also transport the fungus. So cavers will need to 
decontaminate all clothing and gear before going from 
one site to the next.

23 -- And it's not going to be easy. Some of these 
decontamination protocols require a little bit of effort. But, if 
we're not cleaning our gear as we move from site to site for this 
reason, what is the next bacteria or fungus that's going to be 
coming our way? So I think that clean gear is just good ethics, 
whether or not it's for white nose syndrome, I think it's just a 
good pattern for us to get into.

Find decontamination information at passporttotexas.org.

That's our show ... we receive support from the Wildlife 
Restoration program ... providing funding for habitat 
conservation in Texas ... For Texas Parks and Wildlife ... I'm 
Cecilia Nasti. 



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