Have you been in an overseas cave?
A deadly fungal disease has caused the deaths of thousands of bats in Europe, Asia and North America. The fungus can be transported from place to place, country to country and even from one continent to another (spread by cavers from a cave in western Ukraine to caves in New York State USA).
Don’t bring White Nose back to Australian caves. Whether you’ve been to a guided show cave or more serious caving, anyone visiting an overseas cave needs to scrupulously clean all clothing, footwear and equipment that’s been in a cave. It’s not onerous and there are established protocols.
Clean everything of dirt (which should be done before travelling back to Australia). Then:
- For clothing and boots, ropes etc clean in hot water, 55° C for a minimum of five minutes.
- For non-immersible equipment several products are recommended. These include isopropyl alcohol wipes 50-70%, and hydrogen peroxide wipes 3%.
Cavers are asked to rigorously clean their clothing, boots, vertical gear and to decontaminate equipment including helmet, lights, cameras, phones.
This is all detailed in White Nose Syndrome: US Decontamination Protocol For further information on White Nose Syndrome: Exotic 2025: White-nose syndrome Fact Sheet March 2025