Vermont has been awarded $25,000 in federal funding to study a deadly fungal infection that has devastated bat populations.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department biologist Alyssa Bennett says some bat species are harder hit by White-Nose Syndrome than others. The Rutland Herald reports Bennett says six species of bat in Vermont are susceptible to the disease because they hibernate in the winter.
The fungal disease has been discovered in more than 30 states and seven Canadian provinces. WNS causes bats to become active in winter, burning up fat and energy that they need to survive the season.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says there is currently no cure for the disease but several states are working to prevent the fungus' spread with help from federal funding.
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