Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Friday, September 05, 2008

Two bats test positive for rabies in Winona

WINONA, Minn. (AP) — Winona health officials are warning people to be careful around bats.

Two bats have tested positive for rabies in Winona in the past month.

The Winona Health Urgent Care Clinic has treated several patients for bat bites in the past two weeks, including one patient who was bitten by a rabid bat.

In the most recent case, a bat brought to a veterinary clinic tested positive for rabies after biting a 4-year-old boy. The bat was found in the child's bed.

The first reported bat with rabies bit a man on the finger as he grabbed it from his washing machine.

Many times people won't know they've been bitten because a bat's teeth are so small. Last October, a Monticello man died from rabies. He didn't realize he'd been bitten until symptoms had already set in.

For more on bats and rabies, see the Health section in Wednesday's Tribune.