GOOSE ISLAND – The city’s health department is warning jam band fanatics across the city that they might have been exposed to bats flying around a popular warehouse-turned-music-venue last month.
A bat exposure was confirmed during the Goose concert Sept. 12 at the Salt Shed, 1357 N. Elston Ave., according to the Department of Public Health. Bats in the Chicago area are known to carry rabies, although not all bats carry the deadly virus.
Now, the department is warning anyone that might have had contact with the bat to seek medical attention and potentially receive a vaccine that prevents rabies. Those who attended the show but did not come into contact with a bat don’t have to take further action, according to the health department.
The Department of Public Health did not provide details as to whether or not anyone experienced physical contact with bats at the show. Some concert goers did notice bats at the show, however.
“We saw [a bat] flying around the lighting rig picking off moths and other bugs attracted to the light,” said one reddit user in a comment.
Exposure to bats can be especially dangerous because their bites can be nearly undetectable due to their small teeth.
The Salt Shed is a former Morton Salt facility that was converted into a 5,000-person concert space in 2022.
Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:
