White-nose syndrome detected in bats for first time in Oregon

photo of a small brown bat on top of a fence post.
A healthy Myotis bat lays on a fencepost, vocalizing. Many species in this genus are susceptible to white-nose disease. February 2026, Lane County, Oregon. Photo via Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

SALEM, Ore.— White-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats has been detected for the first time in Oregon in Columbia and Benton counties. White-nose syndrome is caused by an infection with the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans that disrupts hibernation, causing early winter emergence, dehydration and starvation.

This finding follows the 2025 detection of Pseudogymnoascus destructansin bat guano collected at a roost in Clatsop County. Bats in Oregon have now tested positive for the fungus and have shown…

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