"Pat Flannery" wrote in message
dakotatelephone...
Seriously this time, does going into a cave environment sound safe?

Yes.

Considering that entire species of invertebrates and vertebrates have
evolved to live in this particular environment, why does any spelunker
feel safe considering what forms of fungi and bacteria may have also
evolved there also?

There's really only one fungus we have to worry about (and I've probably
already been exposed); histoplasmosis.

For the most part the vast majorities of caves have air that is safe to
breath.

IIRC, there is at least one cave that has a potentially dangerous form of
bacteria living in it that should not be inhaled, requiring the use of
breathing gear during the entire stay in the cave.
And what the Hell was the "White Nose Syndrome" about?

Who the hell knows. It's a serious problem and they're still not really
sure of the cause. For sure we know that bats in some areas are dying in
vast numbers and are underweight and have a white fungus on their nose.
Whether that's a cause or result still isn't known.

We're seeing in some cases 90% or greater mortality rates in some areas.
For those who think, "eh, what's the big deal" let's say that bug
populations are probably going to soar in some areas.

Personally, I suspect that we're just going to have let it burn its way
across the US and hope bats build up resistence. But in the meantime,
millions of bats will die.

Don't confuse this with the Brown Nose Syndrome that some know so well.


Pat



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Greg Moore
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