Deadly Bat Fungus found in 3 New SC Counties

Tri-colored bat populations in the Upstate have declined at an alarming rate, up to 97%, since white-nose syndrome (WNS) arrived in South Carolina. WNS is now present in three new counties in the state: Cherokee, Spartanburg and York, reports the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). A total of 10 counties in South Carolina have now been reported to have the fungus. The three new counties fill Upstate gaps already suspected to harbor the fungus; Greenville, Lancaster, Laurens and Union were counties added in 2017. In the past, sites in Oconee, Pickens and Richland counties had bats dying from WNS.