Health officials are trying to locate an unidentified woman who left two dead bats last Thursday at the U-of-M’s Veterinary Medical Center in Saint Paul. Both bats tested positive for rabies and investigators have no idea where they came from or whether people were exposed to them. State Health Department epidemiologist Carrie Klumb says, “Rabies is considered universally fatal. There is no treatment for rabies once symptoms begin, and so the only option that we have is to treat people with the rabies shot so that they never develop the disease in the first place. That’s why we take this so seriously.” Anyone with information should contact the State Health Department at 651-201-5414.
If a bat has had possible physical contact with a person, it should be safely captured and tested for rabies. Experts note bat bites are so small they might not be felt or leave a mark.