Public health officials urged caution Friday after bats found in Long Beach and Irvine tested positive for rabies.
Rabies is a viral disease that can spread to humans through the bite or scratch of an infected animal. The virus attacks the central nervous system and can cause severe brain disease and death if a person does not receive treatment before symptoms begin. Once symptoms appear, rabies is nearly always fatal.
In Irvine, the infected bat was found near Wedgewood and Whispering Pine off Portola Parkway on Sept. 28 at about 4:45 p.m., according to city officials.
The latest case in Long Beach was confirmed after the Long Beach Public Health Laboratory received and tested the bat on Sept. 30, making it the city’s first rabies-positive animal detection since 2014.
While rabid animals, often bats and skunks, are found every year in Los Angeles County, a record-setting number of rabid bats have been found in the region, with 79 confirmed cases, including the latest case in Long Beach.
At least 29 rabies cases were confirmed in Orange County as of Sept. 15, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Those who find a bat in or outside their homes, particularly near a sleeping person, child or pet, are advised not to touch or release it. If a bat is seen inside a house or other structure, occupants are encouraged to close off the area and contact animal control.
Health officials also urged residents to keep dogs and cats current on their rabies vaccinations and alert local animal control if a pet comes into contact with a bat or other wild animal.
A potential rabies exposure can occur when saliva or nervous tissue from an infected or potentially infected bat enters the body through a bite, scratch or wound, or through the eyes, nose or mouth. People who are bitten by an animal should wash the wound with soap and water and then contact their doctor, officials recommended.