Potential Rabies Exposure at Chicago's Salt Shed

The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently announced it is alerting the public to a bat exposure at the Goose concert at the Salt Shed, Chicago, IL, and that additional attendees may have been exposed to the rabies virus.

If you attended the concert but did not encounter a bat, you need not take any further action, as a bat flying above you is not a risk for rabies.

While certain bats are more commonly diagnosed with rabies, all bat species are susceptible to carrying the rabies virus, including in the Chicago area. 

According to CDPH's press release on October 4, 2024, if you attended the concert, were bitten or scratched by a bat, or had direct contact with one, contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible to discuss rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. This prevention consists of a dose of human rabies immune globulin and four doses of vaccine, which are highly effective in preventing rabies.

Rabies is a progressive encephalomyelitis disease caused by the rabies virus and can be fatal, says the U.S. CDC.

In the U.S., around 4,000 animal rabies cases are reported each year. While rabies is found in several wildlife species, the U.S. has been free of dog rabies since 2007. 

For example, the Minnesota Department of Health recently confirmed rabies death in a person who had exposure to a bat in western Minnesota in July 2024—this is Minnesota's fourth case of human rabies since 2000.

And a resident of Ontario, Canada, was also recently confirmed with bat-bite transmitted rabies. There have been 26 human rabies cases in Canada since 1924.

Globally, the World Health Organization reports rabies fatalities by country. 

As of 2024, three WHO pre-qualified human rabies vaccines protect people against rabies: nerve tissue and cell culture vaccines. In the U.S., various rabies vaccines are offered at travel clinics and pharmacies.