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Recommended procedures to prevent the
possible spread of white-nose syndrome
You should not handle bats. If you come across live or dead bats with white-nose syndrome, contact your state wildlife agency, e-mail us, or contact your nearest U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field office.
We ask that you take the following precautions to prevent the possible spread of WNS ("cave" includes all caves, fissures, mines, portals, etc.):
- Observe all cave closures and advisories in all states. Some states have instituted closures and issued advisories beyond normal permanent and seasonal closures. New York has closed all infected sites. New York, Vermont and New Jersey have advised all individuals to stay out of all caves with bats. Other states have instituted, or are considering instituting, closures of caves with bats and/or advisories to stay out of caves with bats. On this Web page, we will provide information about state closures and advisories of which we are aware. Just prior to caving, check this Web page for updated closures and advisories. If this Web page does not include closure information from a state in which you plan to go caving, contact that state's wildlife agency to obtain the latest information on cave access. Before caving in another country, check with the country's wildlife agency for information on cave access.
- Upon exiting a cave, whether inhabitated by bats or not, in New York, Vermont,
Connecticut and Massachusetts and adjacent states (New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania), follow the containment and decontamination procedures below. Decontaminate all clothing, footwear, and gear prior to departing for a caving outing if you did not decontaminate these items after last exiting a cave. In these states, we ask that you not take gear into a cave if that gear cannot be decontaminated or disposed of (e.g., if harnesses, ropes or webbing cannot be decontaminated, we advise that you not enter caves or parts of caves requiring use of this gear and not take this gear into the cave).
- Because clothing, footwear and gear used in accessing a cave in New York, Vermont, Connecticut or Massachusetts within the past 2 years could pose a risk of spreading WNS, the Service advises that these items not be used when accessing caves anywhere and that these items not be transported until the cause of WNS is identified and the effectiveness of decontamination procedures can be evaluated. We advise that you decontaminate these items immediately (see decontamination procedures below) and store them away, and that you thoroughly wash and decontaminate any surfaces with which these items may have come into contact (e.g., car trunk).
Containment and decontamination procedures
The Service asks that cavers please follow these procedures for containment and decontamination in the circumstances identified above. These reasonable practices will reduce the transfer of infectious agents, which potentially affect bats, from one cave to another cave. Prior to each caving outing, please check this Web page for updates to these procedures.
Any gear, including outer clothing, should not be used in multiple caves on the same day unless the cleaning and disinfection recommended below can be performed. A cave should only be entered with clothing, boots and equipment that have been fully cleaned with the protocol below and rinsed prior to entry to remove disinfectant residue. Upon exiting a cave, scrape or brush off any dirt and mud from your clothes, boots and gear and then place them in a sealed plastic bag or container to be cleaned and disinfected off site. Remember to bring extra clothes for the drive home.
Companion animals should be kept out of caves.
The first step of decontamination is to remove all soil and organic material from equipment, clothing and boots using repeated rinses with water. This is especially important as organic material can inactivate many cleaning and disinfectant agents.
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It should be noted that product guidelines should be consulted for compatibility before using any disinfectant on specific equipment.
Boots need to be fully scrubbed and rinsed so that all soil and organic material is removed. The soles of the boots can then be disinfected with an appropriate disinfectant, including but not limited to, quaternary ammonium compounds3 and dilute bleach solutions2 (not for some metals).
Ropes and harnesses: Caution should be taken when considering disinfectant products for ropes and harnesses so performance is not affected. Some manufacturers suggest using water with a maximum temperature not to exceed 40°C for rinsing and washing cycles and then disinfection by soaking in quaternary ammonium compounds3 diluted in water not exceeding 20°C. Ropes should be rinsed thoroughly and allowed to fully dry after a disinfectant is used. Consult specific manufacturer's recommendations for more details. Consult the manufacturer of your rope or harness for specific recommendations on appropriate cleaning and disinfectant procedures and products.
Footnotes:
1Alcohol: A 70 percent or greater isopropyl alcohol is a readily available and good choice.
2Bleach solutions: These products can be corrosive to some metals and irritating to skin. Consult manufacturers' guidelines for appropriate use. Bleach solutions (5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite) to be used for disinfectants are diluted in the range from 1:100 (1 part bleach in 100 parts water, which supplies approximately 500 ppm available chlorine) to 1:10 (1 part bleach in 10 parts water which supplies approximately 5000 ppm) depending on the surface to be disinfected. The 1:100 dilution is appropriate for smooth pre-cleaned surfaces, whereas the 1:10 dilution is appropriate for porous surfaces that are difficult to pre-clean.
3Quaternary ammonium compounds: Specific choices include, but are not limited to, Sparquat 256 and the antibacterial form of Formula 409®.
Disclaimer: Use of trade names does not in any way signify endorsement of a particular product.
Useful references and Web sites:
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