P504 Screening of Belgian bats and hibernacula for the description of related fungal microbiomes and the detection of Pseudogymnoascus destructans

Abstract Poster session 3, September 23, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Bats can be affected by fungal pathogens such as Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of the white-nose syndrome. Their body surface can also be colonized by fungal commensals or carry transient fungal species and participate in their dispersal. The present study aimed to assess the presence of P. destructans in Northern Belgium, to describe the skin mycobiome of active bats during summer and autumn, and to analyze possible differences in fungal diversity among bat species, sampling sites, and seasons. In total, 114... Mehr ...