Designed Surveillance for the White-nose Syndrome Fungus

Accurate information regarding the presence or absence of emerging diseases, such as white-nose syndrome, or their causative agents, provides land managers with information to take actions to slow the spread of this disease. Designed surveillance can result in earlier detection of pathogens, which may provide managers with more options for managing disease spread. Wildlife populations are often subject to multiple stressors, and disease can exacerbate existing stressors while creating new challenges. In order to develop effective wildlife management plans, knowledge of whether the pathogen or disease is present or absent in a population is necessary. Through designed surveillance, we can answer questions regarding the characteristics of individuals and populations (such as species, habitat type or density) that are associated with disease risk and target mitigation efforts to those high-risk groups.