Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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Once considered a scary nuisance — or worse, a fictional monster's alter ego — bats are now appreciated for their ecological contributions.

Chief among them: their voracious appetite for insects, with the National Park Service estimating that bats provide over $3.7 billion worth of pest control annually in the United States. They're also a critical component of cave ecosystems.

Modern-day respect for this flying mammal is why a recent Star Tribune story about a bat rescue was a heartwarming tale to close out 2023. But according to renowned infectious expert Mike Osterholm, health care caution is in order.

Mark Fischer was adding attic insulation to a lake home in Miltona, Minn., when he discovered a hibernating brown bat colony. Rather than just evict them, Fischer drove the critters to a wildlife rehabilitation center in Roseville — a conscientious and compassionate step.

While calling the rescue a "remarkable effort," Osterholm is reminding the public that bats can carry rabies, a potentially fatal viral illness. He adds that their prick of a bite might not be noticed by humans: "I'm concerned that [the] public will take away from this story that bats can be handled by individuals not expert in preventing bat bites."

Osterholm notes that most rabies cases in the U.S. are caused by bat exposure — about 70% of the 89 cases between 1960 and 2018. According to a state Health Department analysis, 3.6% of bats tested in Minnesota from 2003 to 2020 were positive for rabies.

"If you wake up to a bat, have a small child or a vulnerable adult awaken to a bat, or someone had physical contact with a bat, please capture the bat and submit it for rabies testing," state health officials advise.

A rabies vaccine is available for humans. Unlike routine immunizations, it's typically given after someone is potentially infected and should be administered as soon as possible, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Urgency is essential, the agency emphasizes: "Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal."

Future bat rescuers and all Minnesotans should understand why these flying mammals are potentially dangerous to handle, especially without training and other protections, Osterholm said. More information about rabies and bats, including a video on how to safely capture a bat, is available from the Health Department at tinyurl.com/MDHRabiesInfo.