Rabies Prevention Recommended After Bat Found In Lockport Home

LOCKPORT, IL — Four rabid bats were recently captured in Will County — one each in Plainfield, Joliet, Lockport and Elwood — bringing the total this year to 13. Earlier this month, a resident found a live bat in the oven in her Lockport Street home in Plainfield, and in Lockport, a woman woke to find a bat flying around her living room, Will County health officials said.

In the Plainfield incident, animal control was notified. The one resident of the home, an adult, did not have any direct physical contact with the bat, so health officials did not recommend PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis regiment).

During the Lockport incident on Aug. 16, a resident of Jefferson Street called animal control after finding the bat flying around her living room. An animal control officer was able to capture the bat for testing, and it was found to be positive for rabies. The resident was advised to begin rabies prophylaxis, according to the health department. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

On Aug. 15, a resident found a live bat in the basement of a home in the 266-hundred block of South Ridge Road in Elwood. Again, Will County Animal Control was called, and the bat was captured. Three adults live in the home, but no one had physical contact with the bat, so no PEP was recommended, according to officials.

In Joliet, a resident of Grant Avenue found a bat in the window blinds in the front room of his home. Animal control came and found the bat. The two adults in the home did not have direct contact with the bat, and no PEP was recommended.

Bats discovered in Will County should be immediately reported to Will County Animal Control at 815-462-5633. The Will County Animal Control program maintains a 24-hour answering and emergency pick-up service for confined stray animals, injured animals and stray biters.

In addition to reporting any discovered bats immediately, Will County residents are reminded to remove any people and animals from the area where the bat is, close off the vicinity where the bat is located if possible, and look over all present residents and pets that were around the bat for any small puncture or bite marks. Residents should also be sure to have keep pets currently vaccinated against rabies.

According to the CDC, the rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. Early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache and general weakness or discomfort. As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation (increase in saliva), difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms, according to the CDC.

Shutterstock / Ivan Kuzmin