LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County is experiencing its highest number of rabid bats ever recorded, prompting the Department of Public Health to urge local communities to take simple precautions that protect people and pets from rabies. As of Sept. 28, World Rabies Day, 69 rabid bats have been confirmed, matching last year’s record with peak season still underway.
Observed annually on Sept. 28, World Rabies Day highlights global progress toward preventing rabies and eliminating the dog strain of rabies.
Rabies remains a public health concern worldwide. Although it is preventable, it causes tens of thousands of deaths globally each year, with most human cases linked to exposure to dogs in countries where the dog strain of rabies is still present. While the dog strain of rabies was eradicated in the United States through routine pet vaccination of pets, other strains of rabies continue to circulate in wildlife, including bats. All strains can infect any mammal and cause disease.
Rabid bat detections can vary year-to-year, but Los Angeles County has seen a steady upward trend for more than a decade. Peak season typically occurs in late summer. In August alone, 24 rabid bats were confirmed, with nearly one in three (32%) bats submitted for rabies testing by residents was found to be positive.
Rabid bats have been found in every part of Los Angeles County, from suburban areas such as the San Fernando Valley to urban areas like downtown Los Angeles, in office buildings, parks, schools, businesses, and residential backyards. One third of bat encounters occur indoors, where exposure risk is higher.
What Counts as Rabies Contact or Exposure?
Exposure to a rabid bat, or a bat that might have rabies, can occur anytime saliva or tissue from the bat could enter the body, such as through a bite or scratch, or contact with a wound, mouth, nose, or eyes.
Bat bites are very small, and feel like a pinprick, so they may go unnoticed by a sleeping person. Anyone who wakes up to find a bat in the room, or finds a bat near a sleeping person, child, or pet, should treat it as a possible exposure and contact your local animal control or Public Health right away.
If possible, do not release the bat so it can be safely collected by local animal control for testing.
Public Health Reminds Everyone in LA County: Never Touch a Bat
The most important rule is simple: Never touch a bat or any wild animal and never allow pets to interact with them. Even small or unnoticed bites can transmit rabies.
Learn more about what to do if encountering a bat by reviewing Public Health’s fact sheet: What To Do If You Find A Bat (PDF)
Details: http://ph.lacounty.gov/rabies