Rabid Bat Found Near Lanesboro Elementary School

Lanesboro, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Minnesota Department of Health has issued an advisory concerning the discovery of a rabid bat near a school in a southeastern Minnesota community.

Bat tested positive for rabies

The advisory says the bat was found adjacent to Lanesboro Elementary School on the afternoon of August 5. It was submitted for testing, and the results came back positive for rabies.

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Health officials seek potential exposures

Because the location is considered a "highly trafficked public area," state health officials are asking anyone who had physical contact with the bat to call the Minnesota Department of Health at 651-201-5414. That request also applies in cases where a pet may have had contact with the bat. The state health department's rabies team is available at that number on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

What to do if you touched the bat

If a person touched the bat, it is important that they immediately undergo a rabies risk assessment. Outside of regular business hours, the affected person should contact a healthcare provider or seek treatment at an urgent care clinic or emergency room.

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(Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)

Standard treatment for exposure to the rabies virus is a series of four doses of rabies vaccine and human rabies immunoglobulin. The health department advisory notes that the treatment regimen is highly effective, but without treatment, rabies is always fatal.