Will County’s 3rd rabid bat of 2019 found in Homer Glen

A third bat in Will County has tested positive for rabies in 2019, according to the county’s health department.

The bat was captured July 19 in the 13000 block of Meath Drive in southwest suburban Homer Glen, the Will County Health Department said in a statement.

The bat tested positive for rabies four days later, according to the department. No humans or pets were exposed.

In 2018, there were 19 confirmed rabid bats captured in Will County, according to the department.

Rabid bats are sometimes active by day and often found in unusual places, such as inside homes or on the ground, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Usually only one or two human cases of rabies are reported each year in the U.S., the CDC said. The most common way for humans to get rabies is through contact with a bat.

Between 1997 and 2006, there were 19 cases of rabies in humans, and 17 of them were associated with bats, the CDC said.

Rabies, a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system, is 99% fatal in people who haven’t been vaccinated or seek immediate medical attention, according to the CDC.

Bats showing signs of rabies in Will County should be reported to Will County Animal Control at 815-462-5633, the department said.