蝙蝠有一個(gè)細(xì)菌攜帶者的壞名聲，但總體來(lái)說(shuō),，折磨這些小動(dòng)物的疾病對(duì)蝙蝠的危險(xiǎn)性要大大超過(guò)對(duì)人類(lèi)的危險(xiǎn)性。 本期的《科學(xué)》(Science )雜志在兩個(gè)方面再三強(qiáng)調(diào)了這一觀點(diǎn),。 一個(gè)研究團(tuán)隊(duì)顯示,，白鼻綜合癥正在蝙蝠中肆虐，使其到了即將滅絕的地步,；這一發(fā)現(xiàn)特別令人擔(dān)心,，因?yàn)轵鹗侵匾幕ǚ蹅鞑フ呒按罅窟M(jìn)食昆蟲(chóng)的動(dòng)物。 另外一則研究提示,，蝙蝠中的狂犬?。?lèi)似Nipah 和 SARS的一種RNA病毒）很難傳播到新的與蝙蝠關(guān)系遙遠(yuǎn)的宿主身上。這對(duì)于蝙蝠是壞消息,，對(duì)人可能是較好的消息.
蝙蝠因?yàn)榘妆蔷C合癥而面臨地區(qū)性滅絕: 據(jù)Winifred F. Frick及其同事披露,，Little Brown Myotis（一種鼠耳蝠）曾經(jīng)是北美最常見(jiàn)的蝙蝠品種，但它現(xiàn)在可能會(huì)在未來(lái)的16至20年左右在美國(guó)的東北地區(qū)滅絕,。 白鼻綜合癥是在紐約州被人第一次發(fā)現(xiàn)的,，它正在整個(gè)北美洲的東部地區(qū)快速蔓延，并在目前感染了7個(gè)品種的蝙蝠,。 這種疾病的名稱(chēng)來(lái)自于生長(zhǎng)在蝙蝠的鼻子,、翅膀和耳朵上的白色真菌。這種感染使得蝙蝠在冬季這個(gè)它們應(yīng)該冬眠的時(shí)間變得異常躁動(dòng)不安,。 蝙蝠因而耗盡了它們的脂肪儲(chǔ)備,。在一個(gè)蝙蝠的冬眠群落中，平均來(lái)說(shuō),，每年有73%的蝙蝠因?yàn)榇瞬《劳觥?Frick及其同事分析了在過(guò)去30年中從美國(guó)東北地區(qū)所有5個(gè)州的22個(gè)洞穴和其它的冬眠場(chǎng)上所收集到的蝙蝠種群數(shù)據(jù),。 通過(guò)將這些數(shù)據(jù)與種群模型相結(jié)合，研究人員確定,，如果這種疾病死亡率及其蔓延持續(xù)不退的話,，在未來(lái)的20年中,，little brown myotis發(fā)生地區(qū)性滅絕的可能性將為99%。 他們指出,，還有數(shù)種蝙蝠品種也面臨類(lèi)似的風(fēng)險(xiǎn),。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1188594
An Emerging Disease Causes Regional Population Collapse of a Common North American Bat Species
Winifred F. Frick,1,2,* Jacob F. Pollock,3 Alan C. Hicks,4 Kate E. Langwig,4,1 D. Scott Reynolds,5,1 Gregory G. Turner,6 Calvin M. Butchkoski,6 Thomas H. Kunz1
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging disease affecting hibernating bats in eastern North America that causes mass mortality and precipitous population declines in winter hibernacula. First discovered in 2006 in New York State, WNS is spreading rapidly across eastern North America and currently affects seven species. Mortality associated with WNS is causing a regional population collapse and is predicted to lead to regional extinction of the little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus), previously one of the most common bat species in North America. Novel diseases can have serious impacts on na?ve wildlife populations, which in turn can have substantial impacts on ecosystem integrity.
1 Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology (CECB), Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
2 Department of Environmental Studies, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
3 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
4 Endangered Species Unit, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233, USA.
5 St. Paul’s School, Concord, NH 03301, USA.
6 Wildlife Diversity Division, Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Emerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 16669, USA.
