Geomyces destructans -- An expose on North America's newest supervillain

Cara N. Wilder, Ph.D. 

B. Wayne, one of the many victims
of G. destructans
Photo Provider:  CDC/
Dr. Winkler and Dr. Sikes

Watch out Batman, there is a new supervillain in town!  This cold-loving fungus, who goes by alias Geomyces "the nose" destructans, is emerging in eastern North America as the top Chiroptera fungal pathogen.  Since its first documented appearance 6 years ago, this infectious supervillain has wreaked havoc across the eastern coast, indiscriminately killing millions of bats of at least six different species.

The nefarious activities of this cold-loving fungus were first documented in 2006 within a tourist cave near Albany, New York.  Dead and dying bats were found strewn on the cave floor as well as within four nearby caves, 30 km west of Albany.  As of 2010, G. destructans' malicious crime spree was found to have spread to an additional twelve states as well as across the Canadian border in Ontario and Quebec.  Recent scientific investigations have even suggested that G. destructans' criminal reach extends to Europe as part of an international pathogenic fungal syndicate with ties in Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary.     



Mug shot of Geomyces destructans
(Prisoner No. MYA-4855)
  Photo Authors: G. Wibbelt, A. Kurth, D. Hellmann,
M. Weishaar, A. Barlow, M. Veith, J. Pruger,
T. Gorfol, L. Grosche, F. Bontadina, U. Zophel,

H.P. Seidl, P.M. Cryan, and D.S. Blehert

G. destructans is a psychrophilic fungus that has known hide-outs in cool locations including caves, a popular bat hang-out.  It is in these dark lairs where this villainous fungus attacks its hibernating chiroptera victims!  G. destructans is known to attack and invade the facial skin of its sleeping victims, slowly causing ulcers and eventually death.  It can be identified by several distinguishing characteristics including asymmetrically curved conida and the inability to grow at temperatures above 24 degrees Celsius. 

In recent news, the G. destructans type strain was apprehended by the USGS National Wildlife Health Center and deposited into a secure ampule within ATCC's liquid nitrogen containment unit.  Scientists observing the captured fungus have already sequenced its genome (MYA-4855D), and are awaiting its formal annotation (http://www.atcc.org/CulturesandProducts/Microbiology/FungiandYeast/tabid/177/Default.aspx#Geo).   

We urge scientists to aid in the analysis of this fungal nemesis!  Start your research today, and end G. destructans reign of terror!  Any information provided could be the key to saving the lives of millions of bats!