A bat that later tested positive for rabies was picked up in Park Ridge on Tuesday after it was discovered in the 1100 block of South Rose Avenue, prompting a public health alert for neighbors and pet owners. The animal was sent to a state lab for testing, and officials say they are now working to identify any people or animals that might have come into contact with it. City and county animal control teams are urging residents to be careful around wildlife while they sort out any possible exposures.
Park Ridge officials told WGN-TV that the Illinois Department of Public Health laboratory confirmed the rabies-positive result. According to officials speaking to WGN-TV, anyone who thinks they were bitten, scratched, or otherwise exposed should contact a healthcare provider right away.
Where to report and who to call
Cook County's Department of Animal and Rabies Control is warning residents not to touch bats or other wild animals and to report any sick, injured, or dead wildlife to the department at (708) 974-6140, per the Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control. The county offers an interactive map showing previous rabid-bat locations and operates low-cost rabies vaccination clinics to help keep pets covered.
When to seek medical care
The Illinois Department of Public Health advises that anyone who has direct contact with a bat, is bitten, has unprotected skin contact, or wakes up to find a bat in the same room should get immediate medical evaluation and possible post-exposure prophylaxis, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. If the bat can be safely captured, animal control staff can submit it for laboratory testing, and those official test results help determine whether post-exposure treatment is necessary.
What pet owners should know
Officials are reminding pet owners to keep rabies vaccinations up to date and to confine any pet that may have tangled with a bat, then contact a veterinarian, in line with county guidance. Cook County reports that roughly 25 rabid bats are identified in the county each year on average, a steady trickle that underlines why officials keep stressing prompt reporting and vaccination.
Anyone in Cook County who encounters a sick, injured, or dead wild animal is asked to call Cook County Animal and Rabies Control at (708) 974-6140. Officials say residents should follow public health instructions closely and report any suspected exposures without delay.
