Rabid Bat Found In Irving Park: How To Keep You And Your Pets Safe

IRVING PARK — Officials are warning residents of a rabid bat found in Irving Park.

Ald. Deb Mell (33rd) alerted constituents that a bat found June 2 in the 4100 block of North Whipple Avenue, within blocks of Bateman Elementary, was "determined to be rabid by the Illinois State Health Laboratory."

Pet owners are being encouraged to keep their dogs, cats and ferrets on a leash when outdoors and to make sure their animals' rabies vaccines are up to date.

Human contact with bats is not advised. If you come across a bat, call 311, which will inform the Chicago Department of Animal Care and Control.

A string of rabid bats were reported on the North Side in September 2015 and just last week rabid bats were confirmed in Beverly and Morgan Park.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, only one or two cases of rabies in humans are reported each year. The most common source is from bats, which are responsible for 17 of the 19 cases of human rabies between 1997 and 2006.

Though rabies can only be confirmed in a laboratory, there are signals that a bat is carrying the disease, according to the CDC.

What to look for: Bats that are active by day, unable to fly, easily approached, or found in a place where not usually seen, such as your lawn.

Rabies can't be contracted through casual contact with a bat (such as petting fur), or its feces, urine or blood.

Infection passes via bite (which can be difficult to detect due to bats' small teeth) or by entering the bloodstream through the eyes, nose, mouth or open wound.

If you think you or your pet may have been bitten by a bat, try to capture the bat for testing (instructions here).

Fall and winter are the best times of year to "bat proof" your home. Any bats that may have taken up residence during the summer will have left to hibernate, according to the CDC.

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