IDPH warns public to watch out for rabid bats

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (KFVS) – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reminding the public to be aware of the potential for exposure to rabies from infected animals.

According to a release from the IDPH, bats are the most common source of potential infection in Illinois and exposures tend to be more frequent during the summer. So far, 27 rabid bats have been found in fourteen Illinois counties in 2023.

Rabies is a deadly virus that affects the brain and nervous system. People can get rabies from being bitten by an infected animal. It can also be contracted when saliva from a rabid animal comes into contact with a person’s eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound.

If you discover a bat in your home, you should avoid killing or releasing it. Instead, contact your local animal control or health department to determine the next steps. If you have been exposed to rabies, preventive treatment is necessary. However, if the animal can be safely captured and is tested negative for rabies, no preventive medication is required.

A bat that is active during the day, found on the ground, or is unable to fly is more likely to be rabid. According to Illinois State Veterinarian, Dr. Mark Ernst, you should also make sure to protect your pets.

“It’s also recommended to take steps to protect your pets against exposure to rabies,” said Dr. Ernst. “Illinois law requires that all dogs and cats 16 weeks of age and older be vaccinated for rabies and registered with their county. If an animal bites a person or your pet is bitten by another animal, the local animal control must be contacted for quarantine information.”

To protect your animals, make sure to keep your dogs and cats up to date on rabies vaccination per state law and to protect them against an exposure. Horses, sheep, cattle and ferrets can also be vaccinated for rabies. If your animal has been exposed to a high-risk animal, call your vet.

To prevent the spread of rabies, the IDPH recommends the following tips:

• 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 or if your pet may have been exposed.

If animal control is not available, you can use the following steps to capture a bat that has been located in your house:

• When the bat lands, approach it slowly, while wearing thick 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 and call animal control
• Do not come into physical contact with a bat.
• If the bat is dead, put it in a plastic container and keep it cool while waiting for animal control to pick it up.

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