April 28, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nuisance bat\nencounters \u2013 Temporary Prohibition on release of bats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dear Licensee:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As state, federal,\nand local governments respond to the human effects of SARS-CoV-2 virus and the\nCOVID-19 pandemic, the wildlife management community is working to understand\nand address potential risks and impacts to wildlife species.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The current\nCOVID-19 pandemic (caused by the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2) has raised the\nquestion about the possibility of reverse zoonotic transmission of the virus\nfrom infected people to bats. This is a reasonable question because SARS-CoV-2\nis believed to have come from Chinese horseshoe bats either directly or through\nan intermediate host. Since SARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus in North America we\nhave no data on whether our native bat species are susceptible to infection,\nwhether they would be affected (morbidity or mortality), or if they could act\nas a reservoir of the virus. Concern is warranted because North American bat\nspecies are known to harbor several other Coronaviruses. As of April 27, 2020,\nroutine testing for humans is not readily available nor has testing for\nwildlife, including bats, been validated. Bat species have a higher risk of\ndisease spread because they are long-lived and many of them roost in dense\ncolonies and can fly great distances (as evident by the recent rapid geographic\nspread of White Nose Syndrome).<\/p>\n\n\n\n At this time, we\nare seeking the cooperation of and partnership with the Nuisance Wildlife\nControl Operator licensees (NWCO) so that we can reduce the potential risk of\ninfecting wild bat populations with SARS-CoV-2 virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Out of an abundance of caution, DEC\nbiologists, along with many other wildlife management agencies, have currently\nsuspended activities that involve close contact with bats. This includes closing off access to all\nhibernacula under our jurisdiction, ceasing current DEC activities involving\nclose contact with bats, and denying research applications which involve\ntrapping or handling of bats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Consistent with\nthese actions and following recommendations of Association of Fish and Wildlife\nAgencies (AFWA), DEC is implementing a complete prohibition on the release\nof any bats that may be encountered by NWCO\u2019s until further notice.<\/strong> These\nrestrictions will remain in effect, or be updated, pending risk assessment\nbased on experiments or surveys to determine the susceptibility of North\nAmerican bats to SARS-CoV-2 infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For any bats you\nmay encounter in a residence, please continue to follow the already established\nbest practices including all Rabies Vector Species protocols as well as any\ndirectives from local health departments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, it is\nrecommended that individual bats captured in homes or other dwellings be\nhumanely euthanized since there is currently no protocol to determine that the\ncaptured bat was exposed to SARS-CoV-2. It is not recommended that maternity\ncolonies in homes or other artificial structures be euthanized. Use of metal\nbat traps or cages to catch multiple bats should be discouraged because it\ncould be difficult to adequately decontaminate after installation. Any\npotential rabies exposures cases should continue to follow the process\ncurrently in place in each county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For\nnow, we are contacting you to ensure that no bats are released to the wild<\/strong> in order to\nreduce the potential risk of infecting wild populations with SARS-CoV-2 virus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The National\nWildlife Health Center has provided the following recommendations for the use\nof personal protective equipment when handling bats:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally,\nwe recommend that you immediately implement enhanced protection measures\nincluding: more frequent disinfection of bat-related care items, keeping bats\nthat you may handle away from people as much as possible, and routine\ndecontamination of all surfaces frequently touched by humans are a few simple\nsteps you can implement now as more guidance is being developed. The health of\nour native bats\u2014already under siege from white-nose syndrome\u2014depends on all of\nus to do our best to keep them safe during this pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n