With the weather warming up, bats become more active as they seek food and shelter in which to raise their young. While bats have mainly beneficial effects, with some species able to eat up to 600 insects in an hour, they are also the only animals that have tested positive for rabies in Lake County in over 15 years. Because of the potential for the spread of rabies from bats to humans, the Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center is urging Lake County residents to avoid contact with these animals. In a typical year, the Health Department confirms rabies, a fatal disease that affects the nervous system of humans and other mammals, in around 3 to 4 percent of the bats tested.