Suburban officials urge caution, awareness of rabid bats

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WLS) -- A Naperville family was forced to seek treatment for rabies after a rabid bat was found flying inside their home, and they're not the only ones dealing with bat problems in the Chicago area.

Renee Heraty says she and her husband were fast asleep last Tuesday morning in their Naperville home when they were startled awake by a bat flying around in their bedroom. They called Animal Control, which took it away and found it tested positive for rabies.

Heraty is not sure how the bat got in the house, but is not taking any chances.

"We had wildlife come out today and they're going to go around the close up all the holes so that it doesn't happen again," Hearty said.

Health officials aren't taking chances either. They recommended the Heratys get inoculated against rabies, so the whole family is going to get the first round of shots Tuesday night.

"The teeth are tiny. They can penetrate the skin and not even leave a mark. So it's possible you could be exposed to saliva from the bat which may be carrying rabies," says Dr. Leroy Schild, director of Will County Animal Control.

Dr. Schild says last year saw an unprecedented 13 cases of rabid bats in the county and there are already 11 cases this year.

"This year is particularly bad because of the wet spring," Dr. Schild says. "A lot of moisture, a lot of insects. big food source for 'em."

Just last month in Homer Glen, six rabid bats were found in the garage of a home. As a precaution, the family who lives there got rabies shots.

Animal control alerted residents by passing out flyers.

"They're everywhere," says neighbor Debbie Potter. "Food chain, they keep away mosquitoes and everything else. it doesn't bother me."

Bats are the principal carriers of rabies in Illinois, but Schild says they have a bad rap. They're actually helpful to the environment by eating lots of insects.

"We don't want to make people afraid of bats, we just want them to be aware of bats and that bats can carry rabies," he says.