First rabid-bat report of 2021 comes out of DuPage County
The first rabid-bat report of 2021 is from DuPage County, the state health department says.
Saturday's news release from the department did not specify exactly where the bat was found. It said the DuPage County Health Department submitted the bat for testing last week.
“Most cases of rabies found in Illinois are found in bats,” said state health department director Dr. Ngozo Ezike. “Although the majority of bats are not infected with rabies, it is important to avoid touching bats and to make sure your home has no openings where bats can enter.”
Bats have small teeth and the bite mark may not be easy to see, according to the news release. If you are close to a bat and are not sure if you were exposed — such as if you wake up and find a bat in your room — do not release the bat. Call your local health department to see if you could have been exposed to rabies and if you need preventive treatment.
Without quick preventive treatment, rabies is typically fatal.
You cannot tell by looking at a bat if it has rabies.
To capture the bat, try to confine it to a room. If possible, trap it in a box, and slide cardboard underneath. Wear leather gloves while doing this, and avoid contact.
In 2020, the state health department's rabies surveillance map reported receiving 38 rabid bats. Twenty-one of them came from Chicago and the suburbs, including two from DuPage County.