SALT LAKE CITY — A deadly disease that has claimed the lives of an estimated 6 million bats recently made the jump from East Coast to West.

The first case of white-nose syndrome in western North America was confirmed Thursday after hikers found an affected bat 30 miles east of Seattle earlier in March, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. No cases have been identified in Utah yet, but the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is actively working to prevent the spread of the disease.

“Up until this point it seems like all of the spread has been bat-to-bat, and bat-to-cave environment, but this latest case shows that although we don’t know the exact cause of it at this point, it seems like a strong possibility that it was a human-assisted spread. So, we need to remain vigilant,” said DWR nongame mammals conservation coordinator Kim Hersey.

What the disease means for Utah

Of the 18 known bat species in Utah, up to nine could be threatened by white-nose syndrome, according to Hersey. Bats with the fatal white nose syndrome often develop a fuzzy white fungal growth on their muzzles and have irritated skin, in addition to experiencing physiologic imbalances, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The disease doesn't affect humans or other animals.

The service reported that since 2006, the disease has spread from eastern New York to 28 states and five Canadian provinces. To address the potential threat, the DWR wrote a white nose syndrome management and surveillance protocol a few years ago to guide Utah in its response, according to Hersey.

“We were obviously hoping we would have more time, and we still hope that we do, but obviously finding it in Washington was quite the blow,” she said.

As part of its efforts, the DWR has been working with caving groups to spread the word about the disease. Gear that is used in caves or mines in other parts of the country should not be used underground in Utah.

At places like Timpanogos Cave, visitors are asked whether any of their clothing or supplies have been in caves or mines outside of the state. Through the DWR’s certificate and registration process, officials make sure any of the gear bat researchers bring in to do research in the state hasn’t been in any of the positive areas.

Why bats are important in Utah

The DWR monitors Utah’s bat population and hasn’t seen any large declines over the last decade to indicate white nose syndrome has arrived in the state, according to Hersey. She said bats are active throughout Utah, comprising the biggest and most important consumers of nighttime insects.

“They can eat just a huge number of insects on a given night,” she said. “A lot of them specialize in the moths that are also some of our biggest agricultural pests. So from that standpoint, they are important economically; they are an important part of our ecosystem; and they’re just really cool creatures.”

Hersey said that while officials are afraid of white nose syndrome, in the meantime people need to protect roosts and other areas where bats live so the state has a better chance of keeping strong populations.

“Bats aren’t something to be feared, they’re something to be celebrated,” Hersey said.

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