LOCAL

Disappearing bats

Since its discovery in the state in 2015, Minnesota has struggled to control the devastating disease White-nose syndrome in bats. Biologists believe that the disease has killed more than 90% of bats in important hibernation spots in Minnesota. The bat population has become so shrunken and fragile that biologists have decided not to do an annual bat count this December. Greda Nordquist, mammalogist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says, “there's just nothing left to find” and its “best to just leave them alone.” There is concern that going into the caves to count the bat might be more harmful than good at this stage as bats are very vulnerable during hibernation. 

White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease causing high death rates and fast population decline among North American bats. It first appeared in New York in 2006 and has spread to more than half of US states and five Canadian provinces by August 2016. The fungus infects bats during hibernation, causing visible white plaque growth on their muzzles and wings. This causes the bat to wake throughout hibernation to try and clean the fungus off their fur, depleting their valuable fat stores and energy causing starvation. The fungus is not known to affect other animals, humans, or livestock however they can act as fomites to transmit the disease. 

The effects of White-nose syndrome stretch beyond the bat populations with impacts on the economy and environment. Bat eat their weight in insects, including those that transmit disease like West Nile Virus and those that damage crops like moths and beetles. A U.S. Geological Survey report found that bats contribute insect control worth at least $3.7 billion for farmers in the U.S. each year.

Scientists fear that the extinction of bats would result in an adverse effect on the environment leading to crop damage, increased use of pesticide, and increased in disease transmitting vector species. Work is being done to try and build artificial habitats to create an optimum environment throughout hibernation. The DNR this summer will investigate to determine if any of these artificial habitats are working and if there is any way to further augment the habitat or insect population around them. 

NATIONAL

New superbug tool

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced the authorization of a new diagnostic test to detect Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterial colonization. The cobas vivoDX MRSA test uses a new bacteriophage technology to detect MRSA from nasal swab samples in as little as 5 hours compared to 24-48 hours for conventional culture. The ability to more rapidly detect and diagnose MRSA infections could benefit patient care and identify patients requiring enhanced infection control protocols to prevent the spread of the resistant bacteria. 

Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacteria that spreads in healthcare facilities and communities. MRSA most often causes skin infections, however in some cases, it causes pneumonia and if left untreated can lead to sepsis. Anyone can get MRSA and the CDC estimates that approximately 5% of patients in U.S. hospitals carry MRSA in their nose or on their skin.
 
In studies the FDA reviewed, the cobas vivoDX MRSA test correctly identified MRSA in approximately 90% of samples where MRSA was present and correctly identified no MRSA in 98.6% of samples that did not have MRSA present. Tim Stenzel, director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health said “today’s authorization adds a new tool in the fight to prevent and control MRSA in high-risk settings. The FDA remains committed to supporting efforts to address antimicrobial resistance in order to better protect patients against this ongoing public health challenge.”

INTERNATIONAL

Australia coping with drought

Climate change has been at the forefront of many people’s minds and rightfully so. The New York Times released an article in August highlighting that a quarter of humanity faces looming water crisis, with major cities like Cape Town which in 2018 came close to reaching “Day Zero” where municipal water supplies would largely be switched off and residents would have to queue for their daily ration of water. In a new article, the New York Times showed that Australia’s vast interior rivers and lakes are disappearing. 

A year and half ago, the reservoir in the town of Euchareena (a city north west of Sydney in the state of New South Wales) went dry, leaving residents without running water. Australia reported its driest spring on record and resources like water are quickly disappearing. Unlike coastal cities that have expansive dams and plants that transform seawater into potable water, inland areas don't have oceans and people are stuck for solutions says Dr. Ian Wright, an environmental scientist at Western Sydney University. 

Families have had to abandon farms and move. Some people are pointing fingers at the conservative government that has approved water-intensive mining projects and made contentious deals with agribusiness, which are often blamed for the degradation of waterways. However, it is a multifactorial problem and scientists are struggling to predict these climate events as parts of the country are experiencing less rain and the flood that fill rivers and dams are decreasing. In November, the interior of New South Wales did receive some rain, but the drought is far from over. Unless Australia learns to adapt, like many other countries throughout the world, the concerns will linger.

Star Tribune
National Park Service

FDA
CDC

New York Times: As water runs low, can life in the Outback go on?
New York Times: A quarter of humanity faces looming water crisis