Will County ties its wildlife rabies record
October 3, 2012 1:08PM
Updated: November 5, 2012 11:33AM
JOLIET — An injured bat found in a planter near a Romeoville residence became Will County’s 11th confirmed case of wildlife rabies early Wednesday.
The bat was found Oct. 1, sheltering in a flowerpot outside a home in the 600 block of Montrose Drive.
A pair of indoor-only cats and two people live on the Montrose property. No rabies exposures were initially identified, even though only one of the cats is current on its annual rabies vaccination schedule.
This incident ties a Will County record for the most cases of wildlife rabies confirmed in a single calendar year. The county first reported 11 confirmations in 2007, when 103 of the 2,102 state animals tested (5.4 percent), were confirmed positive for rabies.
Through Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health had reported just 61 cases from 24 counties. Will County’s case totals include confirmations from Joliet (four), Plainfield (three), Manhattan (two) and Naperville. There have been four Will County confirmations since Sept. 17, including two from Plainfield, and a bat found Sept. 25 in the basement of a Joliet residence.
