Health officials seek woman seen handling rabid bat in downtown Minneapolis on Tuesday

(WCCO) -A bat that was picked up off a downtown Minneapolis sidewalk last week has tested positive for rabies, and anyone who touched it should seek medical care, the Minnesota Department of Health said.

The bat was found on Hennepin Avenue between North Washington Avenue and North Third Street around noon Tuesday. A woman was seen crouching over it and putting it in a bag, then handed it off to another passerby, who took it in to be tested, the department said.

The department described the woman as 25 to 30 years old, white, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, with curly brown hair. She was with a curly-haired dog that resembled a golden retriever. The department has not said whether it has been able to reach her.

Anyone who touched the bat should call 911 and ask to be connected to Animal Care and Control, and should also contact their healthcare provider, officials said.

Bites from bats may be painless and may not leave a mark, the health department warns.

“So much of medicine is watchful waiting, see if symptoms develop. Not in this case,” said Dr. Madeline Gagnon with Gillette Children’s Hospital. She said it’s important to get a risk assessment and, likely, post-exposure treatment with immune globulin and a vaccine.

Rabies can be prevented by vaccination, but it is fatal once symptoms appear and cannot be treated at that point, health officials say. Symptoms may not show up for weeks or months after exposure. Most human cases of rabies in the U.S. come from bat bites.

A Minnesotan died of rabies in 2024 after being exposed to a bat in the western part of the state, one of only four such deaths in Minnesota since 2000, as previously reported.

This month, the CDC issued a report saying it received 17% more rabies-related inquiries from July through August 2026 than it did during the same period last year.

Minneapolis has dealt with rabid bats before. Two turned up in the city within five weeks of each other in earlier WCCO reporting, a bat found on the walking paths at Lake Harriet tested positive in another case, and the city has offered discounted rabies vaccines for pets exposed to bats.