A bat picked up off a sidewalk on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis last week has tested positive for rabies, and health officials are now trying to track down the woman who handled it before it was ever tested. She was seen crouching over the animal, tucking it into a bag, and handing it off to a stranger nearby who ultimately brought it in for testing. Officials have not said whether they have managed to reach her since.
The bat turned up around noon on a recent Tuesday near Hennepin Avenue between North Washington Avenue and North Third Street, according to CBS News. The woman noticed it on the ground, picked it up, and placed it in a bag before passing it to another passerby, who followed through and had the bat tested. That test came back positive for rabies, setting off the search for her.
According to NJ.com, Minnesota health officials are urging the woman to come forward and get tested, warning that the bat could have bitten her without her realizing it. The Minnesota Department of Health described her as white, between 25 and 30 years old, roughly 5 feet 5 inches tall, with curly brown hair. She was accompanied by a curly-haired dog that resembled a golden retriever, officials said.
Why a Painless Bite Is So Dangerous
The concern is not theoretical squeamishness about touching a wild animal. Bites from bats may be painless and may not leave a mark, according to the same CBS News report, meaning someone could be exposed without ever noticing an injury. Rabies is usually spread through animal bites, but according to Spokane Regional Health District, it can also spread if saliva from a rabid animal touches a person's eyes, nose, mouth, or an open cut.
Health officials told CBS News that rabies can be treated if it is caught early enough, but once symptoms appear, the disease is fatal and cannot be treated. Symptoms may not show up for weeks or months after exposure, which is why officials are asking anyone who touched the bat — not just the woman — to call 911, request a connection to Animal Care and Control, and follow up with their healthcare provider. The Spokane health district similarly warns that if untreated, rabies is fatal.
A Wider Pattern of Rabies Concerns
The Minneapolis case lands amid what officials describe as a broader uptick in rabies exposure concerns across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received 17% more rabies-related inquiries from July through August 2026 than during the same stretch in 2025, per the CBS News report citing the CDC figures.
A bat in a public place can raise concerns about possible exposure, even when no bite is apparent.
A separate, less-detailed report also surfaced in Rhode Island, where the state health department flagged a potentially rabid bat observed at Roger Williams Park Zoo on August 24, 2026; the incident was reported to the department on September 11, 2026, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health. Back in Minneapolis, the identity of the woman who handled the bat, and whether she has been reached by health officials, remains unresolved.
