BOISE, Idaho — A fungus that causes a fatal illness in bats has been detected in Idaho for the first time, federal and state officials confirmed.
Traces of the Pseudogymnoascus destructans fungus, commonly known as Pd, were detected on six bats in Minnetonka Cave, which is located on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest near the Utah-Idaho state line. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game said despite the presence of the fungus, no bats in the cave appear to be exhibiting symptoms of white-nose syndrome, the fatal disease caused by the fungus.
Rita Dixon, state wildlife action plan coordinator for Fish and Game, told the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview that the agency has been bracing for the fungus to arrive for years. Dixon said the fungus is believed to have originated in Eurasia, and National Geographic reported that it has killed more than 6 million bats since it was first documented in North America in 2006.
