Latest news with #Pd
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Invasive, deadly fungus affecting bats found in Rocky Mountain National Park
DENVER (KDVR) — An invasive fungus has been detected in bats at Rocky Mountain National Park. In a Thursday press release from the national park, tests done by the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed the fungus known as Pseudogymnoascus destructans, or Pd, has been detected in bats in the Holzwarth Historic Site on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. According to the park, this is the first confirmed detection of the fungus in Grand County. Pd is described as an invasive fungus that causes white-nose syndrome — a deadly and infectious disease that impacts bats. 'Any new detection of Pd is worrisome because bats are vital for healthy ecosystems. Rocky Mountain National Park is home to nine known species of bats, five of which have been found living in areas above 11,000 feet,' said Rocky Mountain National Park in a press release. How much snow will fall in the high country this weekend? While white-nose syndrome does not pose a risk to humans, people can spread the disease. Following the detection, Rocky Mountain National Park has provided protection tips to visitors. The park asks people to report dead or injured bats to park personnel. The park also said people should never touch a bat, because they could carry other dangerous diseases aside from white-nose syndrome. If you do visit a cave or bat habitat, Rocky Mountain National Park recommends you properly decontaminate gear and outerwear. The national park said white-nose syndrome was first confirmed in 2022 in southeastern Colorado, it has also been confirmed in Larimer County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Warrant issued for migrant gang member suspected of murder, sexual assault
An arrest warrant has now been issued for a suspected Tren de Aragua migrant gang member who was cut loose from custody in Chicago last week despite police believing they had probable cause to keep him detained in relation to a murder. Pedro Colmenares, 33, a Venezuelan illegal migrant who already had a weapons charge against him when police cuffed him last week, is suspected of being involved in the shooting death of a 25-year-old Hispanic man last September, Fox News exclusively reported. He is also suspected of kidnapping and sexually assaulting his former girlfriend. Chicago Pd Says It 'Will Not Assist' With Upcoming Ice Deportations Chicago police said probable cause existed to place Colmenares into custody for the murder of the Hispanic man, but ultimately the Cook County State's Attorney's office declined to press homicide charges, explaining they "carefully reviewed" the case and found insufficient evidence and "uncooperative witnesses." Homeland Security had also tried to apprehend him on an ICE detainer for the weapons charges offense in October, but because of its sanctuary policy, Cook County refused to comply with the detainer and Colmenares was set free. Read On The Fox News App Immigration agents wanted Colmenares taken into their custody, having entered the U.S. illegally in September 2022. He was ordered deported by an immigration judge in November of that year, according to DHS. 'He Is Delivering': Trump's First Month Flips Script On Radical Biden-harris Border Policies While appealing the deportation ruling, he ended up in Chicago, where he was roaming freely. But Fox News can now confirm that an arrest warrant has been issued for Colmenares, although the warrant is for the kidnapping and sexual assault of his former girlfriend last October in Chicago. The court document reads that the Colmenares' warrant was issued for two offenses: aggravated kidnapping and aggravated criminal sexual assault with a firearm. Colmenares is alleged to have pulled up in a car to the 27-year-old Hispanic woman and told her to get in "or I'll shoot you." Police say he drove the woman against her will to a separate location on Chicago's West Side, where he allegedly "battered and sexually assaulted the victim" over several days. Colmenares was ordered to appear in person before a judge on March 5 in Chicago. He was ordered to surrender weapons and stay away from the domestic abuse victim, according to a court document, but he was not assigned electronic article source: Warrant issued for migrant gang member suspected of murder, sexual assault
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Arizona bats test positive for possibly deadly fungus; wildlife agency seeks public's help
Bats in southeastern Arizona have tested positive for a fungus that poses a threat to the species, prompting wildlife officials to urge the public to report any potential infections. A bat that was part of the cave myotis species in Fort Huachuca, just west of Sierra Vista, tested positive for a fungus known as Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) that can cause deadly white-nose syndrome (WNS), according to the Arizona Department of Game and Fish. The positive sample was collected during a June 2024 surveillance when Game and Fish identified a bat with abnormal wing features linked to the disease. The agency later discovered four additional bats, including two from other species, that tested positive for trace amounts of the fungus. Debbie Brewer, a Game and Fish biologist for the Fort Huachuca area, said monitoring for the Pd has existed in the area since 2014, with positive infections found in 2017, followed by low-level spread in 2021 and 2023. "Though not unexpected, our 2024 high-level positive detection in cave myotis is highly concerning and should put other land managers in the Southwest on alert that habitat protections for this and other species of bat are warranted," wrote Brewer in a news release. With the help of citizen scientists: An endangered bat species has been found in Arizona Pd, which causes white-nose syndrome, is named after the white fungal growth seen on infected bats. Since 2006, the disease has led to the deaths of millions of bats across 40 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces, according to Game and Fish. White-nose syndrome does not pose a risk to humans or pets, but human activity is a major concern for bringing fungal spores into cold, humid caves where bats hibernate, and where optimal growing conditions exist for the fungus. 'This disease did not exist when I first began working with bats. To see new threats to our bat populations like this is disturbing," said Angie McIntire, a specialist on Arizona bats for Game and Fish. A bat infected with WNS may display unusual behavior, which Game and Fish said usually appears like the bat is unable to fly or is perched low on a wall or is on the ground. The wildlife agency asks the public to help monitor for the disease by reporting any possible cases by email to bats@ sending a detailed report of the encounter, photos, location and contact information, but also reminds the public to never handle bats. Game and Fish said since 2019, the fungus has been found in Mohave, Coconino, Yavapai and Cochise counties, and at Grand Canyon National Park. Between 2021 and 2024, a total of eight bats, including cave myotis, southwestern myotis and big brown bats, tested positive for the fungus. Infections within the cave myotis bat species also have been found nearby in New Mexico and Texas, highlighting to researchers a possible vulnerability among the species for WNS. Bat season in Arizona: What attracts them and are they dangerous? Reach reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@ Follow him on X, Threads and Bluesky @ReyCJrAZ. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bats in southern Arizona test positive for fungus deadly to species
