Elderly Minnesotan dies of rabies after bat bite

An elderly Minnesotan died this year after a bat exposure at home in the western part of the state resulted in a case of rabies.

The state Department of Health announced the death Friday after the rabies infection was confirmed in testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sept. 20.

The case is the seventh on record in Minnesota since 1917, and the fourth since 2000. All seven of the infections were fatal.

State health officials said the death does not indicate a heightened risk to the public, but they urged people to avoid contact with bats, which are responsible for 70% of U.S. rabies cases. State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Stacy Holzbauer also reminded people to vaccinate their pets and livestock against rabies.

Rabies is treatable with an immune globulin injection and four doses of rabies vaccine to boost the immune system, but only if treatment is started before symptoms emerge. Otherwise, the disease is almost always fatal.

The state said the victim was older than 65 and exposed to the bat in July. The investigation into the infection continues, but family members said the victim had killed the bat in the house. The individual did not receive rabies treatment before symptoms emerged.

Public health workers were following up to determine whether close relatives or health care workers who treated the victim had been exposed to the virus.

The state encouraged people to contact health care providers or the health department after any physical contact with bats because their bites can sometimes leave only small or unnoticeable marks. If captured, bats can be tested for rabies to determine whether treatment in needed.