ESCONDIDO, CA — County public health officials this week were looking for people who may have come into contact with two rabies-infected bats found in Escondido.

The first bat was found around 4 p.m. Saturday around in a grassy area near the White Oak Villas condo complex in Escondido. The animal was retrieved by the San Diego Humane Society.

The second bat was found shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The wild bat was not one that was on habitat.

Park visitors who had no physical contact with the bat are not at risk for rabies. The bat was found on a rock wall outside of the Okavango Restaurant and safely collected by a trained staff member.

Both bats later tested positive for rabies.

“Human rabies is almost always fatal without prompt post-exposure vaccination and treatment,” said Dr. Sayone Thihalilopavan, the county’s public health officer.

“Rabies can be transmitted through a bat bite or when bat saliva comes into contact with a cut, scrape, or the eyes, nose or mouth,” Thihalilopavan said. “Bats play an important role in our local ecosystem, so it is essential for the public to remember not to touch bats or handle wildlife. Keeping a safe distance protects both you and the animals.”

The bats were the fourth and fifth rabid bats the county has detected this year.

Those who may have interacted with or had direct contact with a bat in those areas were urged to contact County Public Health Services as soon as possible at 619-692-8499.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease that is most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal, according to county health officials.

 Because of prevention efforts, human rabies is rare but does occur and is fatal. The last human rabies case in the county was in 2001 in a person who was bitten by a dog in the Philippines.

Symptoms of rabies in people can take weeks to months to develop after exposure. Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal. However, prompt post-exposure treatment following exposure to the virus will prevent the disease, officials said.