Bat Tests Positive For Rabies In Crestwood

CRESTWOOD, IL — A bat found Tuesday in Crestwood has tested positive for rabies. The bat was found in the 5300 block of Waterbury Court where several apartment buildings are located, authorities said.

The Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control submitted the bat for testing. Results were delivered Wednesday from the Illinois Department of Public Health indicated that the bat had rabies.

In 2017, several bats were removed from inside a Crestwood apartment on the 14000 block of Dori Lane in Crestwood. One of the unspecified number of bats tested positive for rabies.

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Only dead animals suspected of being rabid can be tested, preferably with the head intact. Animals are tested by taking tissue samples from the brain. If an animal tests positive for rabies, IDPH, the state agency responsible for testing for rabies, notifies the county with 24 hours.

Another reason you want to save the bat's head is because the regimen of post-exposure rabies vaccinations can cost tens of thousands of dollars and isn't covered by most health insurance carriers.

Area residents should keep their dogs, cats and ferrets leached when outside. If your pet does not have a current rabies vaccination, have the pet inoculated immediately. The most common bats found in northeastern Illinois are little browns.

Never handle bats, skunks or other wild animals. Should you find a dead bat or other wild animal on your property or roadway, contact your local animal control or police department.