Coles County Health Department staff are reminding residents to keep their distance from bats and other wildlife after a bat tested positive for rabies this week…
The Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed the case yesterday, August 13th, marking the first bat to test positive for rabies in Coles County in 2026. The Coles County Health Department and Animal Shelter say the case is a good reminder that while rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, it’s also preventable when treatment starts promptly after exposure, and before that happens.
Bats are the animal most commonly found with rabies in Illinois, though raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes can carry it too. The tricky part is that most bats don’t have rabies, and there’s no way to tell just by looking at one. That’s why they’re urging residents to never handle a bat with bare hands, and to avoid approaching any bat that’s grounded, out during the day, unable to fly, or acting strangely.
If a bat turns up inside a home, officials say don’t release it until you’ve talked to animal control or the health department. It doesn’t automatically mean someone’s been exposed, but because bat bites can be small enough to go unnoticed, every situation gets looked at individually. The safest move is to keep people and pets out of the room and close the door to contain the bat until help arrives, rather than trying to catch or handle it.
Anyone who may have had direct contact with a bat, including waking up to find one in the room, should wash any bite or scratch right away with soap and water and call the health department to talk through what happened, even if a bite wasn’t obvious. If the bat can be safely kept for testing, don’t release it. A negative test result generally means no further treatment is needed.
Pet owners should also stay alert. Officials recommend keeping dogs, cats, and ferrets current on rabies vaccinations, and contacting a veterinarian right away if a pet has had contact with a bat or other wild animal. Residents with questions about a possible human exposure can call the Coles County Health Department at 217-348-0530, ext. 225. For questions about a bat found inside a home and whether it should be tested, call ext. 227.
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