Health authorities said a bat infected with rabies was found near Lake Rancho Santa Margarita in Orange County this month.
The bat was found on April 17 and was tested as part of the county's routine rabies surveillance efforts, according to the OC Healthcare Agency. The bodies of infected bats were frozen and then taken to the California Department of Public Health.
OC Health Care Agency encourages anyone who has physical contact with bats (or sees others doing so) to inform their disease control departments to determine the risk of infection. The owner of the pet who touches the bat is also asked to contact the health authorities.
According to health care agencies, rabies is almost always fatal to humans once someone starts showing symptoms. That's why it's important for people to seek medical assistance right after possible contact, officials said.
The virus is usually spread in the saliva of infected animals, usually during bites. Because bats have small teeth, bites are usually not overlooked, increasing the risk of infection.
As of April, Los Angeles County Ministry of Public Health Two rabies bats were recorded in the Santa Clarita area this year. One of the bats was found dead in a residential backyard and the other was still alive in the front yard of the house.
Fresno County in 2024 Its first human rabies death was recorded in more than 30 years. The person was infected after being bitten by a bat.
According to Orange County health officials, rabies cases are rare in humans, but bats are the main source of transmission.
