GOOSE ISLAND – The city health department is warning jam band enthusiasts in the city that they may have been exposed to bats flying around a popular warehouse-turned-music venue last month.
According to the Department of Public Health, an exposure to bats was confirmed during a Goose concert on Sept. 12 at the Salt Shed, 1357 North Elston Avenue. Bats in the Chicago area are known to carry rabies, but not all bats carry the deadly virus.
The ministry is now warning anyone who may have come into contact with the bat to seek medical attention and potentially receive a vaccination to prevent rabies. People who attended the show but did not come into contact with the bats do not need to take any further action, the health department said.
The Ministry of Public Health did not provide details on whether anyone at the show had experienced physical contact with bats. However, some concertgoers noticed bats at the show.
“I saw (bats) flying around the lighting system, preying on moths and other insects that were attracted to the light,” one Reddit user said in a comment.
Exposure to bats is especially dangerous because their teeth are so small that their bites are almost undetectable.
The Salt Shed is the former Morton Salt facility that was converted into a 5,000-person concert space in 2022.
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