On Wednesday, the McDonough County Health Department (MCHD) released a public health announcement that a bat found in a McDonough County home Sept. 3 has tested positive for rabies.
According to Niki Duffy, public information officer and emergency response coordinator, the bat was collected and subsequently tested at the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) laboratory after a Macomb resident reported a possible exposure with household members.
“In Illinois, bats are the primary carrier of rabies, which is a fatal disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system and can only be confirmed by laboratory testing. Rabies is medically urgent but not an emergency,” Duffy shared. “Once exposure to rabies is identified, the administration of PEP, the treatment after exposure, should not be delayed. PEP is a dose of human rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), along with several doses of rabies vaccine over a 14-day period to prevent rabies infection.”
Duffy pointed out the best way to avoid rabies is to avoid exposure and take preventative steps, including: Make sure doors, windows, and vents have screens that are securely framed and free of holes, chimneys are capped and gaps around utility lines are plugged.
Do not touch, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter.
Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not try to nurse sick, wild animals to health.
Rabies vaccinations are required for both cats and dogs in Illinois. Be a responsible pet owner and make sure your pets are up to date with their vaccinations.
Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.
McDonough County residents who find a bat in their home and come into contact with the animal, or were in the same room as the animal while sleeping, should contact the health department for guidance regarding exposure, testing and next steps.
“Residents should take care to not have direct contact with a bat, live or dead,” she added. “Please use a shovel or plastic bags to collect a bat for testing, and note that bats must be in good condition (i.e. head intact) and recently diseased in order to be submitted for testing.”
For more information on rabies, call the McDonough County Health Department at (309) 837-9951.
