World Rabies Day - Wildlife Policy

Rabies: Educate. Vaccinate. Eliminate.

Raising awareness about the impact of rabies on humans and animals.

In the hopes of helping others in honor of World Rabies Day, a young father in the suburbs of Chicago shares his story about bat removal.

DID YOU KNOW

About 50,000 people in the US receive post-exposure vaccination annually, preventing them from developing rabies after an exposure.
Rabies is a deadly disease that kills between 25,000 and 60,000 people
worldwide each year.
Over 15 million people receive post-bite vaccinations, undoubtedly preventing hundreds of thousands of additional deaths.

WHEN SHOULD YOU GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM?

  1. If you have been bitten by a bat (i.e., in the case of a known bite)
  2. If you were asleep in a room with a bat and the bat has escaped (i.e., the bat is no longer available for testing).

If feasible, you should also print a copy of the information contained in the link below and bring it with you when you seek medical attention.

Please furnish your physician with this web link: http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/resources/acip_recommendations.html

BATS ARE NOW ILLINOIS’ #1 RABIES RESERVOIR

While skunks were once Illinois’ primary rabies carrier, with more than four times more skunks testing positive than bats between 1971 and 2004, bats are now the state’s number one rabies reservoir (IDPH 2004). In fact, during the 11-year period from 2000 to 2011, 703 bats tested positive in the state, while only 10 non-bats (i.e., 6 skunks, 2 cattle, 1 fox and 1 horse) were confirmed infected (Figure 1). This means that more than 98 percent of the animals that tested positive for rabies in Illinois in the past decade were bats.

FIRST RESPONDERS ADOPT RABIES PREVENTION PROTOCOL

East Dundee Police joined dozens of other departments over a six county area in receiving training based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advice on bats. The training was delivered by urban wildlife manager Rebecca Fyffe, and was made available through the Wildlife Control Policy Institute, a nonprofit scientific and educational organization and coincided with Rabies Awareness Month. With knowledge gained from the training, officers are ready for this year’s peak bat season, which begins in June and lasts until October.

IN THE WORDS OF OUR CLIENTS

“…Everyone in attendance was very impressed with your staff. Their knowledge seems unlimited. They welcomed questions. We learned more than we could have imagined. This would make it possible for our entire department to be educated on the dos and don’ts in dealing with the wildlife in our community…”
Terri Z.
“…The protocol information on bats, as well as your policy recommendations on abstaining from taking headshots on potentially rabid animals will keep our officers safer as they go about their work and will also help to protect the residents we serve…”
Ronald P.
“…Until your presentation, we were unaware of the prescribed way to handle calls pertaining to bats. Following your presentation and at your recommendation, we will work with the Wildlife Control Policy Institute, NFP to adopt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s protocol for dealing with bats…”
Terry M.
“…We found a bat in our bedroom and since we could not be sure that we were not exposed to it while sleeping, we opted to undergo postexposure prophylaxis vaccines. We are grateful to you and the Wildlife Control Policy Institute, NFP for managing our case. When our private physician advised us that he was not prepared to administer PEP and referred us to the emergency room, the printouts that you provided of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s protocol were key to receiving complete and efficient care…”
Tara H.

CONTACT US

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