Park Forest officials are urging residents to exercise caution and promptly seek medical attention if they are bitten by an animal suspected of carrying rabies.
The urgent advisory comes after a resident reported being bitten by a rabid bat while driving along Orchard Drive. Subsequently, the individual required hospitalization and a series of follow-up shots and treatments.
Assistant Director of Recreation, Parks & Community Health Margaret Lewis emphasized the importance of treating any animal bite as a potential rabies exposure, noting that while incidents involving raccoons and skunks may be more frequent, it is crucial to take all animal bites seriously.
"Just earlier this year, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) issued a statement about rabid bats in our area," Lewis said. "Bats were discovered in two homes in Cook and Will Counties in May, so residents have to exercise caution."
Lewis reiterated the IDPH's message and emphasized that rabies is a fatal but preventable disease. She added that it can be transmitted to people and pets through the bites and scratches of an infected animal. Rabies primarily affects the central nervous system, leading to severe brain disease and potential death if medical care is not received before symptoms begin.
Bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes are high-risk animals known for carrying the deadly disease. By biting, they can transmit the disease to households and farmyard animals.
For more information on how to protect yourself against a rabid animal, click the links below.
Rabies Prevention and Control | Rabies | CDC