Rabid bat bites person at Abq Walmart

http://krqe.com/2015/06/04/rabid-bat-bites-person-at-albuquerque-walmart/

The New Mexico Department of Health said a woman went into the Walmart at Coors and Alameda NW near Cottonwood Mall around 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning on her motorized wheelchair. Hanging from the basket as she rode through the aisles was a bat…

Walmart said when the woman was buying her items at the counter, workers noticed it. One of them tried to help.  “It was another person there who thought they were good at handling bats and picked it up, took it outside and unfortunately was bit when they did that,” said Dr. Paul Ettestad, state public health veterinarian. Dr. Ettestad said the bat tested positive for rabies… “If she didn’t get the shots and it went on to become rabies, it’s almost 100 percent fatal,” Dr. Ettestad said…

Walmart would not show KRQE the surveillance video, but a spokesman said it confirms that the bat was already on the woman’s wheelchair before the woman entered the store.

This is the Walmart that I go to.  In fact, I was there on Wednesday of this week.  I bought one item, and as I was leaving the store, the alarm went off.  I stopped and waited for someone to come check my receipt, but no one did anything and I left.  And there was a police cruiser parked right next to the store, although he didn’t appear to notice the alarm going off either.

So, I’m not surprised that a woman shopped with a rabid bat and no one noticed until she arrived at the check out.  What do you think, was it her pet?  Where did it come from?  I guess I need to start watching out for bats.