UV rays can save bats from dangerous fungal diseases

If you study bats, then you're probably familiar with white nose syndrome. It is a hibernating animal disease, and it has raged bat species across North America in recent years. There may be new hope that scientists have discovered that this pathogenic fungus can die when exposed to ultraviolet rays.

This fungal pathogen is studied by researchers from the US Forest Department, the US Department of Agriculture and the University of New Hampshire, known by the name Pseudogymnoascus destructans.

When compared with six species of Pseudogymnoascus fungus, it was discovered that P. destructans lacked an important enzyme that allowed it to repair DNA damage caused by ultraviolet light. When the fungal samples were exposed to a mild dose of UV-C light from the handheld source, the survival rate reached about 15% - this rate dropped to less than 1% when the dose was exposed to moderate levels.

In both cases, the exposure time was not more than a few seconds.

Current plans require further research, in which few brown bat species will be treated with ultraviolet rays during hibernation, and then compared with untreated control groups. Scientists will also note whether there are any side effects, such as the death of beneficial bacteria, natural bacteria that live in bat skin.

Forestry scientist Jon Palmer, the study's lead author, said: "It's no wonder that P. destructans doesn't seem to be able to repair the damage caused by ultraviolet light. It was discovered that when there is no light, it still maintains the ability to repair DNA due to ultraviolet radiation. to manage the disease and save bats living with this disease ".
This research has just been published in Nature Communications.

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