The near extinction of several bat species in Vermont has turned a new, unsettling page. White Nose Syndrome is the name for this dangerous problem. Bats from as far North as Ontario to as far South as Tennessee have been exposed, infected, and killed by a currently untreatable and undefined epidemic.

According to Scott Darling, VT Fish and Wildlife, biologists continue to pursue ways to treat the fungus. They continue to search for a leading candidate for the cause of the syndrome, hope to find the compounds so that they can safely treat the bats, help them survive the winter, and then conduct that on a larger scale. The disease began killing bats in the winter of 2006 and 2007. Since then it has taken the lives of over a

million bats in 60 confirmed counties. Last year, caves in Dorset and Stafford Vermont were completely gutted by the disease. The exact nature of the syndrome is unknown, but it seems to affect bats' brains. This causes them to wake up early and behave irregularly. White fungus then grows on their faces and eventually, hungry and confused, they perish."

Hope was on the way in the form of Wisconsin-bred brown bats the Department of Fish and Wildlife relocated to two mines in Windsor County. If the bats could survive the winter, it would mean that the purged caves could be repopulated. Darling said, "Preliminary indications are that the two sites that we conducted the research at began to show evidence of some infection from perhaps white nose syndrome."

But why should we be concerned? Bobby Farlice-Rubio of the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium says, "A lot of the species that they eat are what humans would consider pests. The irony is that bats are considered pests, but they are actually pesticide. You know, you could say the bat is the best bug-destroyer that ever was made." Out of nine species of

bats in Vermont, including the already endangered Indiana Bat, six of them live in caves and face extinction if a solution cannot be found. Last month alone, authorities in Allegany County Maryland found their first case of White-Nose Syndrome in a cave. Glenn Therres of the Maryland Natural Resources Department said, "When he entered the cave, [he] noticed bats with white faces. We're all aware of symptoms of White Nose Syndrome, so [we] immediately suspected that to be the case."

The only news for bats today is, unfortunately, bad news. Bats only birth one baby per year, so the cure may come too late.

News 7's Dan Hollis brings us an update on the White-Nose Syndrome.