Data from: Host and pathogen ecology drive the seasonal dynamics of a fungal disease, white-nose syndrome

Seasonal patterns in disease transmission can influence the impact of disease on populations and the speed of spatial spread. Increases in host contact rates or births frequently drive seasonal epidemics, but changes in other host and pathogen-specific ecological factors may be of greater importance in many systems. White-nose syndrome, caused by the emerging fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, is spreading across North America and threatens several bat species with extinction. We determined the patterns and drivers of seasonal transmission of P. destructans by measuring infection prevalence and pathogen loads in six species of bats at 30 sites across the eastern U.S. Despite high contact rates and a birth pulse, infection prevalence decreased from 100% in winter to near 0% during summer. Instead, a change in host physiology, specifically hibernation, was the dominant driver of seasonal infection dynamics. The largest increases in infection occurred when bats began hibernating, and peaked in late winter when population sizes were lowest, leading to maximum disease impacts. Our study is the first to describe the seasonal transmission dynamics of this emerging wildlife pathogen, and highlights the importance of understanding both host and pathogen ecology in mitigating impacts from wildlife disease.