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Guru
At least four people who could have come in contact with the bat have already begun post-exposure rabies treatments.
A pet living on site has also received treatment and is currently under observation. The bat was trapped live in a home on Thursday August 20, with the use of a butterfly net. The bat was confirmed rabid Friday August 21.
“Bats found on or near the ground should generate a call to the most appropriate animal control authority as soon as possible,”.
“Bats are nocturnal animals that are not usually seen at ground level. When you see them on the ground that usually indicates that they’re diseased.”
Rabies is a potentially fatal viral disease transmitted to humans through the bite or scratch of an infected warm-blooded animal. In Illinois, bats constitute the principal rabies threat.
Will is one of at least 14 Illinois counties to report a wildlife rabies case this year. All of the cases have involved bats.