CHICAGO (CBS) — The Chicago Department of Public Health warned Friday that people who attended a specific concert at the Salt Shed last month may have been exposed to a bat.
Goose’s concert took place on Thursday, September 12 from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Salt Shed, 1357 N. Elston Ave.
The Department of Public Health has not provided any details about the bat or bats that were in the concert hall at the time. But the department did warn that bats can sometimes carry rabies.
Rabies is a particularly serious problem for anyone who has been bitten or scratched by a bat, or who has had physical contact with a bat on bare skin, where a bite or scratch cannot be ruled out. The department emphasized that bats have very small teeth, so a bat bite may not be felt or leave easily noticeable marks.
Anyone who attended the concert and was bitten or scratched by a bat, or had direct contact with a bat, should contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible to discuss post-exposure prophylaxis to rabies. This would involve one dose of human immunoglobulin against rabies and four doses of vaccine.
Only people who have had contact with a bat have reason to worry. A bat flying overhead cannot give anyone rabies.
More information about rabies can be found on the websites of the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
