A live bat trapped in the back yard of a Joliet home has become Will County's first laboratory-confirmed wildlife rabies case for 2014, according to the health department.
A resident in the 1200 block of Buell Avenue called Will County Animal Control May 8, after noticing the family dog seemed preoccupied with a small area behind the house, the health department said in a release issued Wednesday.
Animal Control trapped the bat and subsequently shipped it to the Illinois Department of Public Health for laboratory analysis. The animal was confirmed positive for rabies on May 12.
According to the health department, three adults live in the Buell Avenue home, but no human exposures were identified. The family dog may have come in contact with the bat, but the pet is current on its rabies vaccinations.
Will County's first wildlife rabies case of 2013 was a Joliet bat confirmed positive April 2. There were six county bats confirmed rabid a year ago, down from a record 12 positives in 2012. The state reported 55 positive rabies cases from 20 counties in 2013. State rabies confirmations were down more than 14 per cent over 2012 levels.
Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease which is almost universally fatal if post-exposure treatment isn't expedited. Humans are most often exposed to the virus through the bite or scratch of an infected warm-blooded animal.
In Illinois, bats are most often associated with rabies transmission. Persons are urged to report any contact with wildlife (especially bats or skunks), to the most appropriate animal control authority as soon as possible.
Will County Animal Control is available 24 hours daily at 815-462-5633.
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