Rabid Bats Discovered In Lockport Along Oak Street

LOCKPORT, IL - At least a half dozen bats have been found at a house in the 400 block of Oak Street, the Will County Health Department announced Wednesday. The first batch of bats were seized by workers at the Will County Animal Control on Saturday. The initial round of laboratory tests on a few of the bats captured in Lockport came back negative for rabies. However, a second batch of the bats tested positive for rabies, said Steve Brandy, spokesman for the Will County Health Department.

Animal control staff are continuing to investigate the situation in Lockport. The home on Oak Street was surrounded by a wooded area, making it an ideal breeding ground for rabid bats, the health department said.

On a positive note, there were no reports of any human interaction or pet contact with any of these bats. As a reminder, Will County Animal Control is available to respond 24/7 for incidents involving the reporting of bats. People who encounter bats are asked to call 815-724-1520. The health department advises that you should never attempt to touch or pick up any bats yourself.

"For Pete's sake, do not handle them," Brandy stressed on Wednesday.

Brandy said the bat incident in Lockport marks the second confirmed incident around Will County in recent months. A number of rabid bats were found in Wilmington in late May.

In the Wilmington incident, a bat that was captured by the homeowner tested positive for rabies. Back on May 20, the resident noticed her 5-month-old puppy playing with a strange object in their yard. It turned out to be a small bat, the health department said.

A total of seven people, including the two adults at the house, plus five visitors or neighbors, had been in contact with the exposed dog's mouth or saliva. They were all asked to undergo rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, the health department said. The exposed puppy in Wilmington had had current rabies vaccinations but was put into isolation as a safety precaution.

Photo via Jacopo Werther (Wikimedia Commons)