How the collapse of a highly unlikely animal population could kill thousands of American CHILDREN

A new study suggests that the collapse of an animal population in the United States is linked to the deaths of thousands of children.

In agricultural hotspots across the country, millions of bats have died from a deadly fungal infection that first appeared in 2006.

Farmers have long relied on the winged creatures as natural pesticides, as they eat at least 40 percent of their body weight in insects every night, but workers were forced to spray even more toxic chemicals to make up for the losses.

Pesticides have been associated with an increased risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and fetal death.

More than 1,000 infants have died since farmers increased the use of pesticides in response to the decline in bat populations

The new analysis links the increase in toxic chemicals between 2006 and 2017 to the deaths of 1,334 infants in 1,185 counties in 27 states, the majority of them on the East Coast.

That IAn invasive fungus called Pseudogymnoascus destructans causes a disease called white nose syndrome (WNS), which has killed 6.7 million bats in the last 18 years.

It is known that bats consume at least 40 percent of their body weight in insects every day, many of which are pests of crops.

However, the deaths forced farmers in the affected counties to spray 31 percent more pesticides each year, the analysis shows.

This corresponds to a Child mortality increased by eight percent due to pesticides.

According to the study, child mortality increased by 0.25 percent for every percent increase in pesticide use.

The worst affected counties are in the east and south of the USA. In New York, Michigan, Louisiana and Maine, the bat population has declined sharply.

Eyal Frank, study author and assistant professor at the University of Chicago, analyzed county-level data on detection of white-nose syndrome in bats, pesticide use by farmers and other health indicators, including child mortality.

When farmers spray pesticides on their fields, wind and water can carry them away from their original location, exposing other residents in the area outside of their fields to the pesticides, according to the study published in the journal Science.

During the peak season, which lasts from April to September, higher concentrations of agrochemical pollutants are detected.

Pesticides have been associated with negative health effects, including an increased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and developmental delays, and they can also cause acute poisoning.

About 6.7 million bats died from an invasive fungus that causes white-nose syndrome

White nose syndrome causes dehydration, starvation and death in bats. It is caused by a fungus that was discovered in New York in 2006 and has since spread to 38 states in the United States.

Every time farmers increased their pesticide use by one percent, child mortality increased by 0.25 percent.

According to Frank, increased pesticide use by farmers correlated with increased internal infant mortality rates, excluding those who died from accidents or murder.

“Bats are considered something to be feared, especially after reports of a possible link to causing Covid-19,” Frank said.

“But bats have added value to society in their role as natural pesticides, and this study shows that their decline can be harmful to humans.”

The fungus can spread through infected bats, but it can also be carried from cave to cave on people's clothing and equipment.

It can grow on a bat's ears, nose and wings and penetrate deep into its skin tissue, causing WNS, resulting in dehydration, starvation and death.

Pseudogymnoascus destructans is native to Europe and Asia, where bats do not appear to be affected, but the species is believed to have been first introduced to upstate New York by a tourist in 2006.

It was found in a cave connected to a commercial cave that receives 200,000 visitors annually.

Since the fungus was discovered, it has spread rapidly at a rate of 320 kilometers per year, according to the Centers for Biological Diversity, affecting a total of 38 states.

It grows best in damp caves where bats normally hibernate and thrives in cool temperatures around 14 degrees Celsius.

There are 13 confirmed bat species infected with WNS, including the long-eared bat, the little brown bat and the tri-colored bat.

The northern long-eared bat is the most affected by the disease. In several eastern US states, its population has declined by up to 99 percent.