Bat found near Newman Hall on campus tests positive for rabies
Anyone who touched the bat or slept in a room with it should call the public health district.
CHAMPAIGN - A bat found near St. John's Catholic Newman Center, commonly known as Newman Hall, on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus has tested positive for rabies, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District said.
The district said the bat was found Sept. 30 near the Armory Avenue entrance and tested positive Oct. 1. No human exposures had been identified, and the district called the risk to the public low.
Anyone who touched the bat, was bitten or scratched by it, or may have been in the same room with it while asleep should call CUPHD at 217-352-7961, the district said. Bat bites can be very small, so treatment is advised after any physical contact when a bite cannot be ruled out. Treatment works well when started early.
Pet owners whose animals may have had contact with the bat should call their veterinarian. The district also advises keeping pets' rabies vaccinations current and not releasing a bat found indoors if it may have touched a person or pet.
Source: Champaign-Urbana Public Health District news release, Oct. 2, 2026.