By KELLY WILSON

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

Public health and animal control officials are warning people to avoid contact with bats and stray animals because of the potential for exposure to rabies.

So far this year, 69 bats -- the primary carrier of rabies in Illinois -- have tested positive for rabies in 19 Illinois counties, including one bat in Brown County, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health Web site.

Most of the positive cases are in the northeast section of the state.

While no bats have tested positive for rabies in Adams County this year, health officials want people to take precautions.

"Numerous bat sightings have occurred in Adams County in the last six weeks, and there have been three bat bites," said Karen Spring, communicable disease coordinator for the Adams County Health Department.

"We've had a lot of problems with bats this year," said Jenny Benjamin, the county's animal warden. "I've had four calls just today (Tuesday) for bats. It's always worse this time of year, but it seems like it's worse this summer than it has been in the past."

Benjamin said she gets about 20 to 25 calls a month about bats.

"I haven't had anything come back positive for rabies and we'd like to keep it that way," Benjamin said. She added that the county has not had a rabies case in about 25 years.

Benjamin and Spring emphasize that people should leave bats, other wild animals and stray animals alone, and let professionals handle their removal.

"You should never try to approach a bat in your home. If you have a bat in your home, the best bet is to stay away from it. If you can open doors and let the bat fly out, that's fine. But you should not be swinging at them or anything like that," Spring said.

"We do try to tell people, the reason they get bit is they won't leave them alone," Benjamin said. "They try to get a little bowl and catch them in a little bowl. Of course they're going to get bit or scratched."

In addition to bats, other frequently affected wild animals are raccoons, skunks, foxes and coyotes. Domestic animals can be affected if bitten by an infected wild animal.

All bat bites in the county must be reported to Benjamin's office. She says people who know they've been bitten by a bat, or suspect a bat bite, should go to the emergency room.

"You can have a bite and not even know it," Spring said.

Residents should take action if any of the following situations occur:

* Contact between a person's bare skin and the bat's head, or any part of the bat while not looking directly at the bat.

* A bat found in a room with a sleeping person or an unattended child.

* In some circumstances, a bat found close to an unattended child outdoors.

* A bat found in a room with a person under the influence of alcohol or drugs or with other sensory or mental impairment.

While rabies in humans is rare in the U.S., between 16,000 and 39,000 people receive preventive medical treatment each year after being exposed to a potentially rabid animal.

Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system and is transmitted from infected animals to humans through a bite or scratch and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.

Early symptoms include irritability, headache, fever and sometimes itching or pain at the site of exposure. Within days, the disease progresses to paralysis, spasms of the throat muscles, convulsions, delirium and death.

-- kwilson@whig.com/221-3391