Bat die-off blamed on fungus from Europe

LOS ANGELES -- The mysterious deaths of millions of bats in the United States and Canada in recent years were caused by a fungus that hitchhiked from Europe, scientists reported yesterday.

It had been suspected that an invasive species was to blame for the die-off from "white nose syndrome." Now there's direct evidence the culprit was not native to North America.

The fungal illness has not caused widespread bat deaths in Europe. But in North America, more than 5.7 million bats have died since 2006, when white nose syndrome was first detected in a cave in upstate New York. The disease does not pose a threat to humans.

It's unclear how the fungus crossed the Atlantic. It may have been introduced accidentally by tourists. Spores are known to stick to clothes and caving gear.

Now that the apparent origin has been pinpointed, "There is still not much we can do beyond making absolutely sure we don't make things worse by accidentally spreading the fungus," said biologist Craig Willis of the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. -- AP