By Townhall Chicago News Staff
Cook County’s Department of Animal and Rabies Control on Friday released an interactive map showing where bats that tested positive for rabies have been found across the county this year.
The Halloween-themed map identifies the locations of 13 rabid bats discovered in 2026, according to the department. The release is intended to raise public awareness of rabies risks ahead of the holiday weekend.
“Rabies is a completely preventable disease and is always fatal to unvaccinated pets,” Dr. Megan Carolan, the department’s administrator, said in a news release. “Ensuring your dogs and cats are current on rabies vaccinations and other vaccinations is critical to their health and yours.”
Most of the rabid bats were found inside people’s homes, the department said. Even pets that primarily stay indoors face potential exposure. In December 2025, the department recorded the first rabies case in a dog within Cook County in more than 60 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly 60 to 70 dogs and 250 cats contract rabies each year nationally.
Cook County’s Geographic Information Systems Department built the map using data from animal and rabies control. Wig Ingente, GIS program coordinator, said in the release that the tool transforms abstract health warnings into something residents can immediately understand.
“A GIS map helps turn statistics into a story,” Ingente said. “We’re using this technology to transform abstract health warnings into a tangible, visual tool that helps residents instantly understand the real-world risk in their own neighborhoods.”
The Forest Preserves of Cook County has surveyed and researched bats for more than four decades, documenting nine species in the county. About half of those species are colonial and roost in groups of hundreds or even thousands. The rest are solitary, hanging alone or in small maternal family groups in trees and shrubs.
“Bats are amazing flying mammals that act as important bio monitors, helping to indicate the health of our environment,” Chris Anchor, senior wildlife biologist for the Forest Preserves of Cook County, said in the release. Wild bats play an important ecological role, consuming large amounts of insects, including mosquitoes. A single half-ounce little brown bat can eat half its body weight in insects each night.
Residents should never handle wild bats, the department warned. Rabies is almost always fatal to humans if left untreated. The viral disease is transmitted through saliva and spreads when an infected animal scratches or bites another animal or person. The CDC advises anyone who has been in contact with wildlife or unfamiliar animals to consult a health care or public health professional.
To help prevent the spread of rabies, the department hosts low-cost or free Partners in Prevention clinics. The department has held 46 clinics this year, vaccinating more than 5,600 pets against rabies and administering roughly 2,200 microchips, according to the release.
More information is available on the department’s rabies prevention webpage.
