Possible Rabies Exposure At IL Concert, Officials Say

CHICAGO — People who attended a recent concert in Chicago may have been exposed to rabies through contact with bats at the venue, according to authorities.

There was at least one bat exposure at the outdoor Goose concert Sept. 12 at The Salt Shed in the 1300 block of North Elston Avenue, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Bats in the city have been found to carry rabies, although not all do, authorities said.

“Rabies in humans is almost always a fatal disease,” the department said in a news release. “Therefore, it is critical to provide prompt and appropriate rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) after bat exposures take place.”

Anyone who was bitten, scratched or touched by a bat at the concert should contact a health care provider as soon as possible to discuss treatment for the virus that affects the nervous system, including a dose of human rabies immune globulin and four doses of vaccine, according to the agency. Bats have very small teeth and a bite may not have been felt and may have left marks that are not easily seen, authorities said.