Rabies Death in Minnesota Linked to Exposure to Bat, Officials Say

A patient in western Minnesota who was exposed to bats this year died this week from rabies, becoming the fifth person in the state since 1975 to die from the treatable disease, health officials announced Friday.

The Minnesota Department of Health stated: in a statement Officials said the cause of death was still under investigation and did not confirm that bats were the cause of rabies, but acknowledged that the patient had been exposed to bats in July.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the patient’s rabies diagnosis earlier this month. The Minnesota Department of Health said there is no public health risk.

According to the United States, fewer than 10 rabies deaths are reported each year. CDCand 70 percent of those deaths are thought to be due to exposure to bats.

Previous human cases in Minnesota have been fatal and were recorded in 1917, 1964, 1975, 2000, 2007 and 2021, according to the agency.

“Rabies, if left untreated, is almost always fatal,” the ministry said. “Rabies treatment has been proven to be nearly 100 percent effective in preventing disease after infection, but treatment must begin before rabies symptoms appear.”