Eighty-two DuPage County residents have already been told to seek preventative rabies treatment this year after possible exposure to bats and other animals, the DuPage County Health Department announced on Wednesday, July 29.
Two of the 48 bats submitted for testing in DuPage County in 2026 have come back positive for rabies. The health department's alert warns that bats are most active during summer months and urges residents never to touch or attempt to catch one, particularly inside a home.
The warning carries weight. The last human rabies case in Illinois was reported in 2021, the first in the state since 1954. According to the health department, that case involved a DuPage County man exposed to a bat in his home. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
Why "it didn't bite me" is not enough
The health department stressed that finding a bat inside your home may count as an exposure even without a visible bite. That includes situations where someone was asleep, where children were present without adult supervision, or where the bat was near a person who was intoxicated or unable to communicate clearly.
An 11-year-old Canadian boy died from rabies earlier this year after waking up with a bat on his face during a 2024 cottage trip, CNN reported. His parents did not seek medical attention because there were no visible bite marks.
What to do if a bat gets into your house
The health department's guidance is specific: Do not kill or release the bat until you have spoken with animal control and public health. If you can do so safely, place a bucket or container over the bat and close the door to the room. If the bat can be captured and tests negative, preventive treatment is not needed.
Post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, involves a series of four vaccine doses plus an immune globulin injection. Treatment typically costs $2,500 to $7,000 before insurance, according to SafeRabies.com, though most U.S. insurance plans cover it as emergency medical care.
Local context
Hinsdale Police Chief Brian King said during a January 22 Village Board discussion about pet licensing that animal bite incidents in the village are rare and that dogs without rabies shots are unusual. "Having an unvaccinated animal in a bite (case) would be very, very unusual in this community," King said.
But the health department's alert is about wild bats, not pets. Bats are the main source of rabies in Illinois, and a bat may appear healthy even while carrying the virus. Rehabilitating bats in Illinois is illegal.
Pet owners should keep rabies vaccinations current and take any animal bitten by wildlife or exposed to a bat to a veterinarian immediately.
Who to call
- Possible human rabies exposure: DuPage County Health Department, (630) 221-7553; after hours, (630) 682-7400
- Animal bite report: DuPage County Animal Services, (630) 407-2800 or [email protected]
Illinois Department of Public Health surveillance data shows DuPage County's two bat positives are consistent with other collar counties: Lake County also has two, while Kankakee County has three.
Hinsdale public safety week ahead
No public safety meetings or community programs specific to the rabies alert are currently scheduled. The health department's alert is a standing summer advisory. Residents who find a bat in their home or witness a possible exposure should call (630) 221-7553 immediately.
