Rabid bat found in Palatine the 4th in Cook County this year
Four rabid bats have been found this year in Cook County, including one in Palatine earlier this month, and officials are urging people to know how to avoid contact with the deadly virus.
According to Deputy Village Manager Michael Jacobs, the bat was found at Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center at 150 E. Wood St. in Palatine. The bat was examined by the Illinois State Public Health Laboratory, which found it to be rabid.
"I don't think we are seeing a major increase (in rabid bats)," said Sean McDermott, a spokesman for the Cook County Department of Public Health. "This is just the time of year when bats are most active feeding on insects."
No one was exposed to rabies in Palatine, but McDermott said earlier this year a Cook County child was exposed when he or she touched a dead bat that carried the disease. The virus is transmitted by exposure to the saliva or brain and nerve tissue of the infected mammal.
McDermott said the child received treatment - which he said isn't as painful as the series of injections to the stomach that patients used to get - and is fine now.
"The main message really is to educate young children never to handle wild animals - especially bats - even if they appear dead, they might just be sick," McDermott said.
Rabies is a neurological disease, affecting the brain. It causes unnatural behavior in mammals.
McDermott said to be wary if they see bats acting unusually, such as one not able to fly, one that is outside in daytime, or one that doesn't fly away in fear from an animal or person.
"If you find yourself in proximity to a bat, dead or alive, do not touch, hit or destroy it and do not try to remove it from your home," said Terry Mason, Public Heath Department chief operating officer, in a statement. "Call your local animal control office to collect the bat and call your health care provider or local public health department immediately to report the exposure and determine if preventive treatment is needed."
The Public Health Department provided several important tips for residents:
• Call your local animal control office about removing stray animals in your neighborhood.
• Never adopt wild animals, bring them into your home, or try to nurse sick, wild animals to health.
• If a bat is in your home, do not release the bat outdoors until after speaking with animal control or public health officials. It may be possible to test the bat and avoid the need to receive rabies treatment.
• If you wake to a bat in your bedroom you may need to be treated if the bat cannot be tested. Their mouths are so small and teeth so sharp that you may not know you've been bitten.
Palatine encourages residents to keep their pets on a leash and make sure they are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations.
McDermott said everyone should know how to keep themselves safe from rabies.
"Bats are everywhere throughout suburban Cook County," McDermott said. "The Palatine incident is just as relevant to people in Palos Heights and Orland Park."
If any bats are found down or dead on your property or roadway, call the Cook County Department of Animal Control at (708) 974-6140.