Will County Sets Wildlife Rabies Record: Health Department

A bat found live in the garage of a Wilmington residence is Will County’s 13th confirmed case of wildlife rabies for 2014, the Will County Health Department said Thursday.

The incident marks the fourth rabid bat collected from Wilmington this year and establishes a new record for Will County wildlife rabies cases in a single calendar year. The previous record, 12 cases, was set in 2012.

“We want to make sure area residents are mindful of the health risks posed by rabies, and recognize the need to avoid contact with bats or any other wild animal,” said Will County Health Department Executive Director John Cicero. “We believe people are getting the message and reporting potential exposures to their nearest Animal Control authority in a timely manner. Rabies is extremely dangerous and people need to know how they can minimize their potential exposure risk.”

The record-setting case involves a bat found in an attached garage of a home on the 800 block of Winchester Green. Will County Animal Control trapped the bat Sept. 23, and immediately transported it to the Illinois Department of Public Health for laboratory analysis. Animal Control and the Will County Health Department’s Infectious Disease Control section received word of a positive rabies confirmation late Wednesday, September 24.

Human rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease which is almost universally fatal in unimmunized persons. There is no substitute for seeking timely medical intervention after suspected rabies virus exposure.

Many warm-blooded animals can acquire rabies and transmit it to humans through a bite or scratch. Skunks, raccoons and foxes are often linked to rabies transmission, but bats are most often associated with Illinois wildlife rabies cases. All of Will County’s 2014 rabies confirmations have been bats. Across Illinois, at least 34 bats from 12 counties have tested positive for rabies this year.

“The weather will be a big factor going forward,” said Will County Animal Control Administrator Lee Schild D.V.M. “Very cold weather will reduce the potential for human contact with bats, but I suspect exposures could continue to occur for the next month or so.

“I wish to make it clear that we’re not attempting to make bats villains. We’re simply trying to protect people from a very dangerous viral disease. We need to do whatever we can to increase community awareness concerning rabies.”

Will County Animal Control is available 24 hours daily at 815-462-5633.