If you read the whole article, they mention that there are only 1-3 cases of rabies in humans per year. You have a better chance of being killed by a wounded deer, a falling tree limb, or the family dog. They also stated that there was "no obvious bite". Rabies is not an airborne illness. Good thing too. It would wipe out mammalian life on this planet in a year or two. It can only be contracted through fluid exchange(saliva, blood, etc.) More than likely, the bat had a flea that transfered to, then bit the victim or they did receive a bite from the bat but didn't notice. Bats have super sharp little needle teeth that might be able to puncture the skin and not be noticed.
The statistics surrounding rabies contracted from bats can be quite misleading. For example, 90% of all human rabies cases were caused from infected bats. That sounds horrifically frightening until you find out that the actual number of cases that make up the 90% is a mere 2-3. One study done where live bats were captured and examined. Ones that appeared sick, tired or otherwise abnormal were tested for rabies. Out of all the bats that appeared ill, only 6% of those has the rabies virus as the cause. Often times this study is misrepresented, leading to the belief that 6% of the entire bat population has rabies while the truth is only 6% of visibly abnormal bats have rabies.
Personally I am far more afraid of automobile travel than diseased bats. In 2015 there were over 35,000 automobile accident fatalities compare to 2 from bats with rabies. Hope that gives you a little perceptive and relieves some fear.
