Rabid bat found at Naperville home

A bat found hanging from the bottom of a trampoline last week outside a Naperville home was rabid, Will County officials confirmed Tuesday.

The county's Infectious Disease Control officials are working to determine whether anyone came in contact with the bat and was exposed to rabies.

The bat first was seen Aug. 16 hanging beneath the trampoline along Tussell Street, officials said. The homeowners did not call Naperville Animal Control until Aug. 21.

"We are extensively interviewing anyone involved," said Vic Reato, spokesman for the Will County Health Department. "There are questions about a couple of people who had been in the yard when the bat was initially seen and whether they had tried to shoo the bat away. There is one individual who may have actually touched the bat, which always sends up a red flag."

Health officials warn that rabies is typically fatal if left untreated, affecting the nervous system of humans and animals. Most commonly, people get rabies from the bite of a rabid animal. In other cases, people can contact rabies if any infectious material from a rabid animal, such as saliva, comes in contact with a person's nose, mouth, an open wound or gets into the eyes.

Rabies is preventable if the exposure is realized and treatment is prompt. Reato said there has not been a case of human rabies in Illinois since 1954.

"We aim to keep it that way," he said. "We want to make sure people understand the deadly significance of messing with these wild animals. It behooves people to do all they can to stay away from any wild animals, but especially bats need to be reported immediately."

This is the fourth rabid bat discovered in Will County since May 1 and brings the total to almost 40 throughout Illinois.

August and September are the prime months for bat activity, authorities said.

The Will County Health Department urges anyone who comes in direct contact with a bat or who notices a bat acting in an unusual manner, such as flying in daylight or lying on the ground or in a home, to contact the department at (815) 462-5633. If a bat is inside the home, it should not be chased away, because it may be needed for rabies testing.

DuPage County Animal Control can be reached at (630) 407-2800.