The eighth and ninth rabid bats of the season in Will County were recently captured in Joliet and Peotone. In Joliet, a gentleman in the house in the 400 block of Cornelia Avenue reported he found the bat in his kitchen area the morning of August 10th. He stated that he and his three sons sleep with their doors open. There was no known human exposure to the bat
In Peotone, a resident ordered a pizza on August 11th and believes the bat flew into her apartment when the pizza was being delivered to her home in the 100 block of Jessen Street. There was no human exposure to the bat, and a puppy in the house was not old enough yet for rabies vaccination.
Both bats were captured and then sent to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) lab for testing. Positive rabies tests were confirmed on August 13th.
Bats discovered in Will County need to be immediately reported to Will County Animal Control at 815-462-5633. The Will County Animal Control program maintains a 24-hour answering and emergency pick-up service for confined stray animals, injured animals, and stray biters.
In addition to reporting any discovered bats immediately, Will County residents are reminded to remove any people and animals from the area where the bat is, close off the vicinity where the bat is located if possible, and look over all present residents and pets that were around the bat for any small puncture or bite marks. Please also remember to have your pets currently vaccinated against Rabies.
For more on dealing with bats, please go to recommended websites from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or Will County.