Rabid Bat Left Calling Card in New Lenox Closet

A live bat taken from the 300 block of East Circle Drive in New Lenox represents Will County’s sixth confirmed case of wildlife rabies for 2014, the Will County Health Department said Thursday.

For the second time in less than a week, a Will County bat found under odd circumstances has tested positive for rabies.

One of two people living in a home on the 300 block of East Circle Drive in New Lenox will undergo post-exposure rabies treatments after a live bat was found in a hallway outside her bedroom. It was evidently a return visit for the bat.

On August 27, droppings were found in the bedroom closet and a bat was briefly seen flying around. Will County Animal Control was immediately notified when the bat was found the next morning. The bat was immediately rushed for laboratory testing at the Illinois Department of Public Health, and rabies was confirmed late Thursday, August 28.

On August 25, a bat found sheltering beneath a microwave in a Joliet kitchen also tested positive for rabies. Three people living in the Joliet home were also urged to receive post-exposure rabies treatment.

These incidents underscore the need to consult a medical professional immediately if contact with a bat is suspected. Rabies is a dangerous virus transmitted through contact with a bat or other warm-blooded animals.

Will County has confirmed six cases of wildlife rabies this summer. The county totaled six bat rabies cases in 2013. Since 2002, 120 Will County bats have been confirmed rabid.

Will County Animal Control is available 24 hours daily to deal with all inquiries and potential rabies exposures. Telephone Animal Control anytime at 815-462-5633.