In the middle of an ordinary Tuesday in downtown Minneapolis, a woman reached down and picked up a bat with her bare hands — an act of apparent concern that may now place her life in jeopardy. The bat has since been confirmed rabid, and public health officials are searching for the woman before the narrow window for post-exposure treatment closes. Rabies, once symptomatic, is nearly always fatal, making this not merely a public health matter but a quiet race between human ignorance and biological certainty. The city watches and waits, hoping someone, somewhere, recognizes her.
Health officials hunt woman who handled rabid bat in downtown Minneapolis
One unidentified woman potentially exposed to rabies virus through direct contact with infected bat, requiring immediate medical intervention.