Last summer there was an issue with rabid bats in the Will and McHenry Counties. This year is Lake County's turn. So far this year, three rabid bats have been reported found in Lake County, including one found in a Fox Lake home last week. The couple was ordered to get post-exposure vaccinations to keep with CDC guidelines. Anyone who has contact with bats or sees bats behaving un-bat-like, for whatever that's worth, is asked to call the Lake Co. Health Department at 847-949-9925. more ›

It sounds like a horrible mashup of Cheech and Chong with “The Andromeda Strain.” The dead are found with a telltale white powder on their nose. But white nose syndrome is neither funny nor fake, it is a fungus-fueled plague sweeping across the country killing over a million bats in the last two years. And, it has come close to Illinois, prompting the State to take action. After a bat was found with the disease in eastern Missouri, all of Illinois’ state-owned caves have been closed to prevent the condition’s spread. more ›

Okay, we know it's not Chicago-related, but we got a few emails and tweets about the video we posted yesterday (and was seen all over TV and the web) of San Antonio Spurs player Manu Ginobili swatting down a bat out of mid-air (yes, he received rabies shots later). We also noted we hadn't hear PETA's reaction. Until now. A PETA rep emailed us this morning with the organization's official statement on the matter: more ›

When he's not busy flopping on a basketball court, Spurs player Manu Ginobli is busy laying the smackdown on bats that interfere with games, a la Obama and the Fly. We await PETA's reaction. more ›

Health officials in McHenry County are urging caution among residents as 13 rabid bats have been identified so far this year. It's nothing new for McHenry residents as their county had the most rabid bats reported in 2008 with 23 and the current tally of 13 also leads the state so far this year. According to a WBBM report, "Statewide, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 37 as of August 3rd. August is typically a very active month for bats, the release said." The WBBM story has several precautions to help protect you and prevent rabies as well as what you can do if a bat makes its way into your house. We also recommend the "Business School" episode of The Office (available here, for now). more ›

Just in time for Halloween, an infestation of bats has closed down Moulton Middle School in the Central Illinois town of Shelbyville. Between 300 and 500 bats are residing in the school's ceiling and their guano is raising a stink at the school. Tests are being done to determine if the bats pose any health threats to the students. If so, the school would remain closed through Friday and students would attend classes at a neighboring school. We had a lot of nightmares about school in our collective lifetimes (standing naked in front of the class, forgetting our homework, etc.) but, honestly, bats never crossed our minds. more ›

A Cary woman was maybe bitten by a rabid bat, so McHenry County officials are warning people stay the eff away from the flying mammals. Bat bites can be so tiny they're almost impossible to detect, so people who've been around bats are often given rabies vaccines as a precaution. This is the 15th report of a rabid bat in Illinois so far this year; 113 were reported last year, but there hasn't been a case of rabies in a person in Illinois since 1954. According to the CDC, tens of thousands of people are treated for possible rabies exposure every year, but a few still die. more ›