Lawmakers seek federal help to fight bat disease, which could have bad ramifications for humans

In a letter to the Obama administration the Vermont congressional delegation asks for funds to investigate the disease known as white-nose syndrome, which has been linked with the deaths of 500,000 bats in the Eastern U.S.

There could be serious consequences for humans if the bat population continues to dwindle and the disease spreads. "The bats prey almost exclusively on insects such as mosquitoes, which spread disease, and moths and beetles, which damage crops," reports the Burlington Free Press. "A single bat can eat more than 3,000 insects a night and an entire colony will consume hundreds of millions of crop-destroying and disease-carrying pests every year. Bats reduce the need for pesticides, which cost farmers billions of dollars every year and may harm human health." (Read more)