A person older than 65 who was exposed to a bat this past July died after contracting rabies, according to officials with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Little information was given by the agency, which only confirmed the death and a few other details. It was only the fifth time in 50 years that a person died due to rabies in the state.
Officials confirmed that the unidentified person was exposed to a bat this past July. It did not publicly provide any other information including gender, where the person lived or where the exposure happened. The MDH did not specifically say the bat carried the rabies virus, and it still was investigating as of late 2024. The rabies diagnosis also was confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says fewer than 10 rabies deaths are reported annually in the country. Minnesota has had seven confirmed cases since 1917.
Bats are hated and feared by many but are helpful in many ways, including the nightly spring and summer consumption of mosquitoes and other insects. Some populations of bats have been threatened in recent years with the spread of white-nose syndrome. This fungal disease has killed millions of bats throughout the country since 2006 and can wipe out an entire colony during its hibernation. Rabies can cause severe, progressive neurological issues in humans, if left undiagnosed and untreated.
