Asian bat skin mycobiome maintains defense against Pseudogymnoascus destructans during hibernation

Since its discovery in 2006, white-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has devastated North American bat populations (W. F. Frick, J. F. Pollock, A. C. Hicks, K. E. Langwig, et al., Science 329:679–682, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1188594). In contrast, certain Asian bats, such as Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (greater horseshoe bat), exhibit significant resistance, prompting research into the mechanisms behind this resilience. A recent study by H. Leng, A. Li, Z. Li, J. R. Hoyt, et al. (Microbiol Spectr 13:e02233-24, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.02233-24) explored fungal community dynamics on R. ferrumequinum skin and in their cave environment during hibernation using ITS amplicon sequencing and ecological modeling. The authors identified Debaryomyces as a dominant, potentially protective skin-associated fungus. This work provides fresh insights into microbe-mediated resistance in bats and highlights microbiome-based strategies as a promising avenue for WNS mitigation.