Rabid Bat Bites Teen, Naperville Cops Warn Residents: Don't Touch

NAPERVILLE, IL — The City of Naperville warned residents against touching bats, dead or alive, after two of the animals tested positive for rabies and a Naperville girl was bitten. Police said two little brown bats — one found Friday on Ambleside Circle and one found Monday in the 300 block of North Loomis — have tested positive for the virus.

"If you find a bat in your home or business, DO NOT touch it," police said in a warning issued Wednesday. "Contact the Naperville Animal Care & Control at 630-420-6178 or the Naperville Police Department at 630-420-6666. If possible, close the door to the room the bat was found in and wait for an officer to respond for removal." Neighbors were also sent notices after the bats tested positive for rabies.

Madaline Lumsden, 15, told WGN that she encountered a little brown bat Friday night during a camp fire at her Naperville home. She said the bat was flopping around on the ground — a telltale sign of rabies, unbeknownst to the teen — so she put on a pair of gloves and was attempting to put the sick animal in a box when it bit the tip of her finger.

The girl and her mother took the animal to a vet clinic, where staff confirmed it was infected with rabies. The teen immediately began a course of painful rabies shots, she told WGN. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Three days later, a bat removed from a home on Loomis Street also tested positive for rabies.

In addition to giving bats a wide berth — and keeping your hands off them — police warned residents to make sure their dogs and cats are up to date on rabies vaccinations.

Will County health officials also stressed the importance of steering clear of bats after a rabid animal was found in a Lockport home. "For Pete's sake, do not handle them," spokesman Steve Brandy said.

Image via U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service