Could ‘Bee Glue” Help Halt White Nose Syndrome (WNS) in Bats? IIDR’s Dr. Jianping Xu Investigates
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a rapidly emerging fatal disease amongst North American bats, caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). First identified in 2007, the disease is estimated to have caused over 7 million deaths amongst 15 bat species and has been found in over 33 US states and 5 Canadian provinces.
In a recent study, fungal disease expert Dr. Jianping Xu and his team at McMaster University, in collaboration with Thompson Rivers University in BC, evaluated the effect of propolis – or, “bee glue” – against Pd in vitro. Their results showed evidence for anti-Pd activity, suggesting that propolis or parts of its composition might be suitable in preventing or treatingnWNS n bats.
Read the full publication in MDPI.
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