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TWIN CITIES, MN – State health authorities are trying to determine if an unidentified person was exposed to a pair of rabid bats last week at a veterinary facility in Saint Paul.
On Thursday, September 6, two dead bats were dropped at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center (VMC) for rabies testing by an unidentified woman. This woman left before VMC staff could obtain contact information for her. Both bats have been tested positive for rabies.
The Minnesota Department of Health now wants to know if the woman, or whoever, has been exposed to bats during their lifetime.
If you are the person who dropped these two bats or if you know the person who prescribed you, you should call MDH at (651) 201-5414 so that rabies specialists can assess whether someone must receive anti-rabies vaccines. Personal information will be considered strictly confidential.
This is a reminder that Minnesota bats may be rabies-positive and that the public should take this risk seriously.
Rabies is a deadly disease transmitted by the bites of infected animals. Bats are especially troubling because their teeth are so small that a bite may not be felt or even leave a visible mark.
If a person has physical contact with a bat or finds a bat in the room of a sleeping person or an unattended child, the bat must be captured safely and subject to control. to rabies screening tests.
Never touch a bat with bare hands.
"If anyone has been bitten or exposed to a bat, it is very important to test the bat for rabies," said Dr. Joni Scheftel, a veterinarian from the Department of Public Health. "If this is not possible, rabies vaccines should be given as soon as possible."
Anyone who is worried about an animal bite or encounter with a wild animal should contact his or her health care provider promptly.
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health stresses the importance of working with your veterinarian to keep animals and livestock up to date with rabies vaccines.
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