DuPage County Report
Bats are most active this time of year. The DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) reminds residents to never touch or try to catch a bat or wild animal, especially in their homes, since they may carry diseases such as rabies.
One bat has tested positive for rabies in DuPage County to date in 2025. Preventive treatment has been recommended by a healthcare provider and/or public health officials for 68 DuPage County residents for potential rabies exposures already this year.
Rabies is a deadly virus that affects the brain and nervous system. Humans and other mammals can get rabies after being bitten by an infected animal or when saliva from a rabid animal gets directly into the eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound. Bats are the main source of rabies in Illinois. You may not be able to tell by looking at a bat if it is rabid. Other wild mammals such as raccoons and skunks can carry and transmit rabies.
Rabid dogs in the U.S. are uncommon because of effective and successful vaccination of pets and animal care and control services. Around the world, domestic dogs are responsible for more than 95% of the estimated 70,000 human deaths from rabies each year.
Preventive treatment with rabies immune globulin and a vaccine series must begin immediately after potential exposure. Without it, rabies is usually fatal. The last human case in Illinois was reported in 2021, which was the first human case of rabies in Illinois since 1954.
If you have been bitten or exposed to a bat, seek immediate medical attention. Finding a bat in your home, especially if you were asleep or around unattended children, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, or intoxicated persons, even without visible bit marks, may be considered an exposure. The presence of a bat in a home, or any contact with a bat, represents a possible hazard for rabies and should be reported to your healthcare provider and the local health department so that the circumstances can be evaluated.
All potential human rabies exposures must be reported to the DuPage County Health Department at (630) 221-7553 or after hours at (630) 682-7400. All animal bites to humans in DuPage County must be reported to DuPage County Animal Services at (630) 407-2800 or officer@dupagecounty.gov. Fax reports to (630) 407-2801.
Rabies in humans is 100% preventable. Understanding the risk and knowing what to do after exposure can keep you, your loved ones, and your pets safe.
Tips to Prevent Rabies:
- Be a responsible pet owner. Keep vaccinations up to date for all pets.
- Seek immediate veterinary help if your pet is bitten by a wild animal or exposed to a bat.
- Contact local authorities to remove stray animals from your neighborhood.
- Never adopt wild animals or try to nurse them back to health.
- Teach children never to handle unfamiliar wild or domestic animals. “Love your own, leave other animals alone” is a good principle for people of all ages to learn.
- Secure homes to prevent bat entry. More info: Bats and Bats Exclusion
If a bat is in your home, do not kill or release the bat outdoors until after speaking with animal control and public health officials to determine if anyone may have been exposed to rabies and needs preventive treatment. If you are able to do so without putting yourself at risk for physical contact or being bitten, try to cover the bat with a large can or bucket, and close the door to the room. If the bat or other animal is available for testing and test results are negative, preventive treatment is not needed.
More information on rabies prevention is available at:
