Just as mosquito-borne diseases such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Nile Fever seem to be increasing, a mysterious new disease threatens the region’s bat population.

Biologists know next to nothing about this new disease, except that it kills bats. Last year, biologists discovered that some 10,000 bats in the Albany, New York, area had died during hibernation, and many of them had a white fungus around their noses, the federal Fish & Wildlife Service reports. Thus the disease has come to be called “White Nose Syndrome.”

This winter, the same fungus has been found among bat populations in Vermont, Massachusetts and elsewhere in New York, as well as West Virginia.

It hasn’t turned up in New Hampshire yet, but most of New Hampshire’s bat population winters in neighboring states (including New York and Vermont), so it seems unlikely that the state will remain unaffected.

New Hampshire doesn’t have any natural caves, so the only places for bats to winter in the Granite State are old mines, said Emily Brunkhurst, a biologist with the state Fish and Game Department.

“There’s definitely a concern because we don’t know the extent of what the problem will be,” Brunkhurst said. “We, that is collective biologists, don’t know what’s killing the bats.”

It’s unknown whether the disease is viral, bacterial, or something else. The white fungus could be a symptom, a cause or even a coincidence, she said. Could the disease affect other mammals, including humans? It beats biologists. Could it be related to global warming? That’s a “maybe.”

What biologists do know about bats is that they have a tough time in winter. Bats must gobble enough insects that they can get through the winter on stored fat, Brunkhurst said. They also need just enough fat reserves left, come spring, to fuel their first flights, to find more food. On the other hand, they have to watch their weight just like the rest of us.

“Carrying enough fat and being able to fly is sort of a critical balance,” she said.

Fun facts: The places where bats hibernate are called “hibernacula,” which rhymes with “Dracula.” A long-term study of bats in Peterborough found that bats who hang out together and breed in summer will then scatter to different bat caves come winter, Brunkhurst said.

There isn’t much the average person can do about this disease, except be nice to bats. Don’t mess with their nests, and leave large trees standing (bats like them).

Brunkhurst also recommends that people report any bats found dead or seen flying around in winter; the disease has prompted some bats to leave their caves early, and thus perish. Call Fish and Game at 271 –2461 with any such reports, and either avoid handling dead bats, or use plastic bags (doubled-up) to pick them up.

To their credit, cavers (spelunkers) have been raising awareness about the disease, and some caves have been closed to exploration. I must also credit the Nature Conservancy, because I first read about White Nose Syndrome in their spring newsletter.