Rabid bat found in Crystal Lake; 1st rabies case in McHenry County of 2024 season

A bat found in Crystal Lake has tested positive for rabies, the McHenry County Department of Health reported Thursday.

The bat was collected by the county’s Animal Control department and was submitted for testing because of “an exposure to the household,” the health department said in a news release. When the bat came back as positive for rabies, the health department’s Communicable Disease Program “immediately contacted the household to recommend initiation of postexposure prophylaxis,” which is a series of shots given to prevent infection after exposure to a rabid animal.

Rabies is a fatal virus that can be transmitted to humans through bites and scratches from an infected animal, according to the health department. When exposure confirmed, shots “should not be delayed.” The shots are administered over 14 days and are “virtually 100% effective at preventing rabies infection.”

But bites and scratches from a bat can be “very small and may go unnoticed,” according to the release, so it suggested that anyone who finds a bat in their home, or “encounter it, or were in the same room as the bat while sleeping should confine the bat to an enclosed room by closing the door and sealing any gaps at the base with a towel. If the bat is in a main living area and there has been potential exposure to a person or pet, place an upside-down bucket over the bat, if possible, to contain it.”

This is the first rabid animal found in the county in the 2024 season, the health department said.

The health department also advises that “bats become more active during the warmer months. During this period, the best way to prevent rabies is to avoid exposure. A bat that is active during the day, found in an unusual location such as inside a home, or unable to fly is potentially rabid. Children should also be educated to avoid handling wild animals.”

Other advice includes fixing loose or broken screens, capping chimneys and sealing gaps around utility lines and not to handle or feed wild animals or take them into your house. Instead, contact animal control for assistance.

If a bat is found in your house, residents are asked to immediately call McHenry County Animal Control at 815-459-6222 to arrange for the bat’s collection and potential testing.

“For rabies testing, it is crucial that the bat be in good condition (i.e., head intact) and either alive or recently deceased,” according to the health department. For questions, call the department at 815-334-4500.

To learn more about rabies prevention, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov/rabies.