State health officials removed rabid bats from two Illinois homes and warned pet owners to watch for rabies symptoms.
This comes just weeks after a bat was found infected with rabies in Michigan, which carries the rabies virus in every US state except Hawaii.
State health officials are urging residents to make sure their pets, valuable livestock and horses have their rabies vaccinations up to date. Common rabies carriers: Bats, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, foxes.
The two bats found May 10 have been confirmed as positive for rabies, and with the threat of rabid bat activity increasing this summer, IDPH has issued detailed guidelines on how to prevent bats from nesting in homes and other residential areas.
State public health officials have successfully removed rabies-infected bats from two homes in Cook and Will counties, Illinois, and are warning of the risk of more rabies-infected creatures. Pictured above is a flying fox (Eptesicus fuscus), one of several bat species that live in Illinois and neighboring states.
“Swarms of bats can get into people’s homes, highlighting the importance of knowing how to keep bats away,” said Sameer Vohra, director general of India’s Ministry of Health.
“Rabies is a deadly but preventable disease,” Dr Vohra stressed. In her statement.
“It is important that Illinois residents know how to prevent exposure to rabies to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
The IDPH director noted that if a bat is found inside a home, the first step is to cover the bat with a container and contact animal control to have the animal tested for rabies.
The health department recommended wearing protective gloves when approaching the creature and using a box or coffee can to capture the winged mammal.
Illinois is home to bat species such as the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), which weighs just a dime and has an incredible ability to sneak through small gaps and cracks in doors and windows. Pictured above is a little brown bat in flight.
Installing covers over chimney openings and making sure the frames of all entry points, including doors, windows and vents, are secure can help reduce the risk of a rabid bat getting inside a home, IDPH noted. Bat Exclusion Guide.
He advised that any openings larger than a quarter inch should be sealed to prevent bats from entering the home.
Officials recommended a novel design of a “one-way valve” – a valve system that would allow bats to exit buildings they had already entered, but prevent them from re-entering.
The state has a small brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), they weigh only about the size of a nickel and are quite capable of getting through small gaps and cracks in doors and windows.
IDPH recommended either “caulk, expanding foam, plywood, mortar, metal flashing, steel wool, or 1/4-inch mesh screen or netting” to seal these openings, but also presented a novel design for a “one-way valve.”
This valve system allows bats to exit buildings they have already entered, but prevents them from re-entering.
While stereotypes about rabies may lead the public to imagine that all rabid animals will become aggressive or foam at the mouth, the IDPH points out that “changes in any animal’s normal behavior can be early symptoms of rabies.”
Health officials said, for example, bats that are daytime active, found on the ground or that appear unable to fly should be treated as if they have rabies.
“If you are bitten by an animal, seek medical attention immediately,” IDPH said in an advisory this week.
“Bite wounds can become infected and if the animal is at high risk for rabies, preventive treatment should be started immediately,” they noted.
Officials say that whenever possible, residents should “contact a doctor or local health department before killing or releasing a bat to determine whether the bat may have been exposed to rabies and whether preventive treatment is required.”
The captured specimens could help local health authorities decide how to treat infected people, they said.
