MADDOCK, N.D. — A woman in North Dakota brought a raccoon inside of a bar last week, and health officials are warning those who had contact with the raccoon that they may have been exposed to rabies.
According to The Associated Press, a woman walked into Maddock Bar last week carrying a raccoon.
The bartender, Cindy Smith, told The Bismarck Tribune per the AP that there were about ten people inside the bar at the time. The bartender also said that she had asked the woman to leave but she didn’t. Instead, the woman took the raccoon around the bar to show it off and then left about five minutes later.
North Dakota’s Health and Human Services Department issued a rabies alert on Tuesday and is asking if anyone who was bitten or had contact with the raccoon’s saliva to get medical attention, according to the AP. Rabies is a viral infection that can affect humans and other mammals.
According to the AP, six animals with rabies have been reported in the state this year. Those animals included two bats, two cats, a bovine and a skunk.