A decade ago bats in the Northeast started dying by the millions. The culprit was a disease that for years, stayed largely confined to the eastern U.S. and Canada.

But in 2016, the disease suddenly and mysteriously appeared in the Pacific Northwest.

Ever since researchers have been racing to find out what bats here are in for.

Proposed EPA Cuts Could Pose Big Problems For Tribes

Stories from the EarthFix team at OPB, KUOW, KCTS 9, Northwest Public Radio and Idaho Public Television.

EarthFix is an innovative partnership of the largest public media institutions in the Pacific Northwest established to expand environmental news coverage in the region. With journalists based in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, EarthFix creates media across multiple platforms, helping citizens examine environmental issues unfolding in their own backyards and to explore how local actions intersect with national issues. All content copyright EarthFix and its stations.