Study compares Pd DNA extraction methods across bat sample types

A new Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation study compares DNA extraction methods used to detect Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the fungus behind white-nose syndrome, in bat skin swabs, guano, and environmental swabs. The work, by Kyle G. George, Jeffrey M. Lorch, and Anne E. Ballmann, addresses a practical gap in national bat surveillance: labs rely on qPCR to detect Pd, but extraction performance can vary by sample type, and published head-to-head comparisons have been limited. That matters because white-nose syndrome has killed millions of North American bats, and Pd surveillance depends on sensitive, standardized molecular workflows across laboratories. (usgs.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary diagnosticians, wildlife health teams, and laboratory networks, the study adds evidence that extraction method choice is not a minor technical detail. USGS materials tied to the project show the researchers evaluated commonly used workflows for guano, skin swabs, and environmental or sediment swabs, including MagMAX-based and PrepMan-based approaches, and the White-Nose Syndrome Diagnostic Laboratory Network handbook already documents that extraction methods differ by specimen type across participating labs. In other words, this paper helps refine how Pd-positive and Pd-negative results should be interpreted when sample matrices, pathogen burden, and lab protocols differ. (usgs.gov)

What to watch: Watch for whether these findings are incorporated into future White-Nose Syndrome Diagnostic Laboratory Network guidance, interlaboratory harmonization efforts, and field surveillance protocols for noninvasive samples such as guano and environmental swabs. (pubs.usgs.gov)