Minnesota Woman Picked Rabid Bat Off Sidewalk. Now Health Officials Are Desperate to Find Her [Updated]

Update: September 21, 2026, 4:21 p.m. ET: There’s been a happy development. A representative for the Minnesota Department of Health told Gizmodo that the woman contacted the department this afternoon. She’ll likely go through a standard assessment for rabies risk, and hopefully she’s alright.

The original article follows.

Here’s a public service announcement courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Health: Do not pick up a bat off the street—it just might be rabid…

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