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A Westmoreland County cave that was off limits to spelunkers for two years has reopened, but those who enter it are asked to decontaminate their clothing and gear to prevent the spread of a deadly illness that has killed at least a million bats in the Northeast since 2007.

The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on Thursday announced that Coon Cave, southeast of Blairsville, is open. It is one of three caves within Forbes State Forest that were closed for the past two seasons after the fast-spreading white-nose syndrome, or WNS, was suspected of killing hibernating bats.

The others, Barton Cave in Fayette and Lemon Hole in Westmoreland, remain closed. Barton, which is near Laurel Caverns, is expected to reopen this season after an investigation into a collapsed chamber is completed. But officials said Lemon Hole will stay off limits to the public because it was not monitored for the syndrome this year.

White-nose syndrome was first detected in the United States in January 2007 in bats in Albany, N.Y. It is identifiable by a white fungus that appears on bats' muzzles, ears and wing membranes, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It kills bats by disturbing their hibernating patterns.

"It causes them to awaken more often, to the point where they go outside in freezing cold temperatures," said Aura Stauffer, a state wildlife biologist.

Once outside their caves in winter, bats either freeze to death, starve or dehydrate, Stauffer said. The syndrome has resulted in unprecedented mortality rates among infected bats in Pennsylvania.

"The numbers are way, way down," Stauffer said. "Places that used to have thousands of bats now have only a handful."

It's estimated that bats in the United States save the country's agricultural industry at least $3 billion a year.

"People often ask why we should care about bats," Paul Cryan, a U.S. Geological Survey research scientist, said in a press release on the agency's website in March. An analysis in Science magazine "suggests that bats are saving us big bucks by gobbling up insects that eat or damage our crops. It is obviously beneficial that insectivorous bats are patrolling the skies at night above our fields and forests -- these bats deserve help."

A previously unidentified, cold-loving virus known as Geomyces destructans was recently pegged as the culprit behind the syndrome, according to the wildlife service.

There is no practical cure in the foreseeable future, said Ann Froschauer, spokeswoman with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With 26 of the 45 species of bats in the U.S. susceptible to the syndrome, Froschauer said, experts fear its continued spread could result in regional extinction of some species.

"We're not very hopeful," Froschauer said. "The prognosis isn't very good for bats in the Northeast, and with its spread into the Southeast and the Midwest, we are hopeful some kind of environmental conditions will slow it down. But if it stays on track in the Northeast, we will be in big trouble with bats."

In an effort to help stop its spread, Stauffer said the state Department of Conservation is advising people to decontaminate clothing and gear worn inside an affected cave.

"We do ask people who go into the caves to clean their clothes when they come out, before they go into another cave," Stauffer said.

Froschauer said the goal is to stop the spread of the syndrome from one geographic region to another.

"The only thing we can control right now is that potential for human transmission of the disease," Froschauer said. "We are trying to prevent someone in Pennsylvania from taking it to, say, Colorado. That's sort of the impetus behind decontamination and cave closures."

The syndrome has the potential to kill millions of bats, with a 90 to 100 percent mortality rate among infected bats in New England alone, Froschauer said. Experts continue to look for methods to destroy the Geomyces destructans fungus, but so far have not found a way to do so without disturbing hibernating bats or killing good fungi along with the bad.

"If you sprayed a fungicide to kill Geomyces destructans, you would also kill a lot of other good fungi and micro-organisms in the cave," Froschauer said. "So it's not as simple as going in, spraying something, and you're done."

Froschauer said it is difficult to treat infected bats when they are hibernating because to do so would awaken them from their winter slumber. Once awake, the bats burn off fat reserves they need to survive over the winter, she said.

Decontamination protocol

White-nose syndrome is not known to pose a threat to humans, but it can be spread by people to bats in other caves because the fungus remains on clothes and caving gear.

Anyone who visits Barton or Coon caves should properly decontaminate their clothing and caving gear. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service recommends this protocol:

-- Thoroughly remove dirt and mud from clothing, boots and gear.

-- Place all items in a sealed plastic bag or plastic container with lid.

-- Outer clothing should be removed before entering a vehicle. A clean change of clothing is recommended.

-- Wash clothing and equipment in washing machine or by hand using conventional detergents in cold, warm, or hot water.

-- Rinse thoroughly. Then soak items for at least 10 minutes in decontaminating products or boil in water for 15 minutes. Rinse and air dry.

-- Effective decontamination products include Lysol IC Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner at one ounce per one gallon of water, Professional Lysol Antibacterial All-purpose Cleaner at same concentration, Formula 409 Antibacterial All-Purpose Cleaner at concentrations specified by label, a 10 percent solution of household bleach, or Lysol Disinfecting Wipes.

-- When safety permits, rubber caving boots are recommended. Boots need to be scrubbed and rinsed to remove soil and organic material. Decontaminate rubber and leather boots for at least 10 minutes. Rinse and air dry.

-- Wash Sterling rope/webbing in a front loading washing machine on the gentle cycle using Woolite Extra Delicates detergent. Immerse in a dilution of Lysol IC Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner for 15 minutes. Rinse twice in clean water. Air dry. Other brands have not been tested for integrity after decontamination. They should be dedicated to a single cave or not used at all.

-- For non-submersible gear, clean thoroughly with water soap, such as Dawn antibacterial dish soap. Decontaminate by applying one of the recommended chemical products to the outside surface for at least 10 minutes. Rinse and air dry.

-- If possible, do not take electronic equipment into a cave. Cameras and similar equipment may be placed in plastic casing or wrapped in plastic wrap, leaving only the lens exposed.

-- Vehicles used to transport equipment can harbor spores. Keep vehicles as clean as possible by taking extra precautions, such as storing gear in clean container.

-- Gear should not be used in multiple caves in the same day unless the decontamination procedures can be performed.

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