BEVERLY — A rabid bat was found Sunday at 9953 S. California Ave. in Beverly, according to the city's Department of Animal Care and Control.
The bat was submitted for rabies examination and found to be rabid by the Illinois Department of Public Health laboratory, 19th Ward Ald. Matt O'Shea said.
"All residents are advised to keep their pets on a leash when outside the home. If your pet does not have a rabies vaccination, please see a licensed veterinarian immediately to obtain an inoculation," O'Shea wrote Thursday in an email to constituents.
He advised against handling any bats or wild animals and said if any bats are found to call 311 immediately.
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only one or two cases of rabies in humans are reported each year. The most common source is bats, which were 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.
