Overview

• USGS confirmed Pseudogymnoascus destructans in guano from a roost at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park in Clatsop County, marking Oregon’s first detection.
• Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reported the fungus on two bats captured at Libby Dam in Lincoln County, the state’s first detection west of the Continental Divide.
• No bats in Oregon have shown clinical signs of white-nose syndrome to date, and USGS said the positive sample was likely from a Yuma myotis.
• Agencies plan targeted winter surveillance and broader population monitoring while urging the public to disinfect footwear and gear and report sick or dead bats.
• Officials note the fungus spreads mainly through bat-to-bat contact during hibernation, can be carried on contaminated equipment, and does not cause human illness.