Rabid Bats Found In Will, Grundy

WILL COUNTY, IL — State health officials said five rabid bats have been found so far in Illinois this year, including bats found in Will and Grundy counties.

Rabid bats were also found in Champaign, Jackson and Macon counties, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health's 2022 rabid bat surveillance map. A total of 40 rabid bats were found around the state in 2021, health officials said.

IDPH did not say where in Will and Grundy counties the rabid bats were found. Patch has reached out to the Will County Department of Public Health for more information.

As the weather warms up, IDPH is warning residents to beware of rabid animals, especially bats.

“While there is a preventive treatment for rabies, it is one of the deadliest diseases we know,” said IDPH Acting Director Amaal Tokars. “Bats are the most common carriers of the rabies virus in Illinois and are responsible for the vast majority of human rabies cases in the United States in recent years. But they are not the only carrier of rabies. The public should be not approach bats or any wild, unfamiliar or stray animal, and any animal that appears to be sick.”

A bite from a rabid animal can be potentially fatal if not treated. Last summer, a Chicago-area man in his 80s became Illinois' first human case of rabies — and first human rabies death — in nearly 70 years. The man had woken up to find a bat on his neck, and despite the animal testing positive for rabies, he declined a recommendation to begin post-exposure rabies treatment.

IDPH said residents should also make sure that rabies vaccinations are up-to-date for pets, as well as livestock and horses. If a pet is exposed to a high-risk wild animal — such as a bat, skunk, raccoon, fox or coyote — residents should contact a veterinarian for advice immediately.

Rabies is a virus that affects the nervous system, or the brain and nerves. People can get rabies after being bitten by an infected animal.

Rabies can also be contracted when saliva or spit from a rabid animal gets directly into a person’s eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound. People usually know when they have been bitten by a bat, but bats have very small teeth and the bite mark may not be easy to see. Health officials said if you find yourself close to a bat and are not sure if you were exposed, for example — you wake up and find a bat in your room, do not kill or release the bat before calling your doctor or local health department to help determine if you could have been exposed to rabies and need preventive treatment (i.e. vaccines or other products to stop you from getting Rabies).

If the bat is available for testing and test results are negative, preventive treatment is not needed. Rabies preventive treatment, if needed, must begin quickly, health officials said.

An animal does not have to be aggressive or exhibit other symptoms to have rabies. Changes in any animal’s normal behavior can be early signs of rabies. A bat that is active during the day, found on the ground, or is unable to fly is more likely than others to be rabid. Such bats should never be handled.

Tips to help prevent the spread of rabies, according to IDPH:

• Do not touch, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter.
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not try to nurse sick, wild animals to health. Call animal control or an animal rescue agency for assistance.
• Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly. “Love your own, leave other animals alone” is a good principle for children to learn to reduce the risk of exposures to rabid animals.
• Maintain homes and other buildings so bats cannot get inside.
• If a bat is in your home, do not release the bat outdoors until after speaking with animal control or public health officials.
• After consulting with animal control or public health officials, the bat may need to be captured for rabies testing to determine if you need preventive treatment.

Steps you can take to capture the bat if animal control is not available are:

• When the bat lands, approach it slowly, while wearing gloves, and place a box or coffee can over it.
• Slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside.
• Tape the cardboard to the container securely, and punch small holes in the cardboard, allowing the bat to breathe.
• Do not come into physical contact with a bat.

For more information about rabies and keeping bats out of your home, visit the IDPH website.