The bats (Chiroptera) are the second most diverse order of mammals, which ensures their key role in the functioning of ecosystems. It is known that the bats' immune system allows them to coexist with dangerous pathogens, which poses a great threat to other animals and humans. However, bats still have an infectious disease that is dangerous for them - white nose syndrome (RLS). Since RLS affects bats (Microchiroptera), which feed on insect pests of crops, outbreaks and the spread of RLS cause significant damage to the agro-industrial sector. The role of bats in agriculture is that, for example, one medium-sized bat can eat up to 1,000 insects per night. According to estimates, the RLS causes annual damage to the US economy equal to 3.9 billion dollars. The damage to the Canadian economy amounts to 2 billion US dollars. Despite the fact that no such assessments have been made about Russia, the RLS is an undeniable threat to the economy of our country, as the agricultural sector plays a significant role in social and economic development, especially in the south of the country, in one of the largest agricultural regions of the Russian Federation – in the Rostov region. The threat is becoming more real, given that, according to recent studies, RLS infection is already persistent in our latitudes.
The causative agent Pseudogymnoascus destructans infects hibernating bats, spreading across European and Asian populations. The bats' immune system is unable to eliminate the action of the pathogen due to low body temperature. As a result, to date, RLS has caused the mass deaths of more than 6 million bats worldwide (some estimates reach up to 7 million). The pathogen is characterized by a high rate of spread: the fungus spreads at a rate of about 200-900 km per year. As of 2023, RLS has been detected in 38 US states and 8 Canadian provinces. Such a rapid spread of the pathogen has an extremely detrimental effect on the populations of individual bat species. Populations of Myotis lucifugus species decreased by more than 90% in severely affected areas; Myotis septentrionalis species also decreased by more than 90% in some regions; Perimyotis subflavus species decreased by 75% or more in some regions.
The project is aimed at monitoring RLS and other fungal infections of bats in the Rostov region. The project will clarify the species diversity of bats and conduct epizootological monitoring of RLS and other fungal infections of bats using advanced statistical methods in one of the leading agricultural regions of Russia, where the disease poses a significant socio-economic threat. For the first time, a genomic and phylogenetic analysis of Pseudogymnoascus destructans will be performed when it is detected in bats of the Rostov region, which will determine the ways of infection spread in Russia and the world.
The use of advanced methods of genomic analysis and comparative bioinformatic approaches will allow us to identify the unique features of fungal strains affecting bats in Southern Russia and assess the molecular evolution of pathogens. This will help to develop and implement new strategies for monitoring and controlling RLS and other fungal infections of bats, which is important for preserving the species diversity of bats and the sustainability of ecosystems in the Rostov region and the Russian Federation as a whole.
