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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The fungus that causes a deadly disease in bats has been detected in California for the first time.
Wildlife Specialist Catherine Hibbard of the US Fish and Wildlife Service said samples collected this spring on private land in the city of Chester in northern California were tested positive.
The fungus causes white nose syndrome, which can lead to dehydration or other conditions that can kill bats.
Hibbard says that there is no sign that the disease is currently affecting bat populations in California.
She says the fungus was first detected in New York in 2006 and has spread gradually.
Bats that have contracted the disease have now been confirmed in 33 states and seven Canadian provinces.
In five other states, including California, bats have been tested positive for the fungus.
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