Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the county has recorded 69 rabid bats as of Sept. 28, matching last year’s record; peak season remains underway.

The department said August alone produced 24 rabid bats; nearly one in three (32%) bats submitted for testing by residents in August tested positive. The department said about 17% of bats encountered by people or pets in recent years test positive, rising to as high as 33% in late summer.

The department said rabid bats have been found across Los Angeles County, and 68% of this year’s detections were in the Santa Clarita Valley; most of those were Canyon Bats, the department said, which may indicate more intense local circulation.

“Bats are an important part of our environment, but they can be infected with and spread rabies, a disease that is almost always fatal once symptoms appear,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer. “If you find a bat indoors or think you may have had contact with one, contact your medical provider or Public Health right away. And remember, never touch a bat or any wild animals. Immediately report any bat found indoors, or outdoors if it appears sick, active during the day, unable to fly, or dead, to your local animal control.”

Exposure can occur when saliva or tissue from a bat enters the body through a bite or scratch, or when saliva contacts a wound, mouth, nose, or eyes; bat bites can be very small and may go unnoticed, so anyone who wakes 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 local animal control or Public Health right away.

To protect people and pets, Public Health urges residents never to touch a bat or any wild animal; to report bats right away and, if safe to do so, cover them with a box or container rather than release them, so animal control can collect them for testing; to seek medical advice immediately, because rabies is preventable with post‑exposure prophylaxis (PEP), a series of timely vaccines; and to vaccinate pets, including indoor‑only cats and older pets. The department also recommends bat‑proofing homes by caulking openings ¼ inch by ½ inch or larger, installing heavy‑duty wire mesh over vent openings, and using window screens, chimney caps and draft guards beneath attic doors.

Residents can review Public Health’s fact sheet “What To Do If You Find A Bat” and find more information at https://ph.lacounty.gov/rabies.

Sources & methodology

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County of Los Angeles

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