Bat found in downtown Minneapolis tests positive for rabies
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State health officials say a bat found in downtown Minneapolis last week tested positive for rabies — and they’re trying to find anyone who may have been in contact with it.
The bat was found last on Sept. 15, on the sidewalk along Hennepin Avenue between Washington Avenue and Third Street, not far from the Minneapolis Central Library.
The Minnesota Department of Health said at least one person — a woman with a dog — was seen crouching by the bat and putting it into a bag. She’s described as white, 25 to 30 years old, about 5-foot-5 with curly brown hair. The dog had curly hair, and looked like a golden retriever.
“If this was you, please call 911 and ask to be connected to Animal Care & Control,” the health department said in a notice posted in that area. Health officials said bites from a bat can be small and painless, and may not leave a mark.
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Anyone else who may have touched the bat is advised to talk with a health-care provider, or contact the Minnesota Department of Health at (651) 201-5414.
As of Monday morning, the department had not heard from anyone who may have had contact with the bat.
Officials said anyone who saw the bat but did not have any contact with it, is not at risk of rabies.
It’s not the first time that a rabid bat has been found in downtown Minneapolis. There was a similar case in 2019.
There was also a rabid bat found near Como Lake in St. Paul in 2018.
And in 2024, a person who came into contact with a rabid bat in western Minnesota died from the disease.
In an unrelated case last week, officials said a cow in Brown County tested positive for rabies. Public health officials recommended that nine people who came into contact with the animal undergo rabies post-exposure treatment as a preventative measure.
