SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego County public health officials today reminded residents how to remain safe as the number of rabies-positive detections has increased, and we head into warmer months when the virus is most commonly detected.
A total of 14 rabies-positive bats have been found in the county this year, including four in May. Of these latter bats, two were wild ones found inside the San Diego Safari Park in Escondido: one on May 11 on a tree near Thorntree Terrace and another on Friday, May 29, inside the Mombasa Cooker Restaurant.
Another wild rabid bat was found at the San Diego Zoo on May 23 in bushes off Center Street. None of these bats were part of park exhibits, and visitors who did not touch a bat are not at risk. A fourth bat was found in
Santee on May 16 at a private residence and did not expose people to rabies, county officials said.
``Human rabies is almost always fatal without prompt postexposure vaccination and treatment,'' said Dr. Sayone Thihalilopavan, county public health officer. ``Rabies can be transmitted through a bite or when an infected bat's saliva enters a cut, scrape, or the eyes, nose or mouth.''
People who come into direct contact with a bat, or who think they may have touched one, should contact County Public Health Services at 619-692-8499 immediately.
Public health officials reminded the public to always give wildlife space -- bats are protected species, and it is illegal to kill, harm, or keep them -- immediately wash any area that comes into contact with a bat, and seek medical advice. Bat bites can be too small to see and any contact should be reported. Keep pets up-to-date on rabies vaccinations.
Rabies symptoms can take weeks to months to appear, but once symptoms start, the disease is almost always fatal, county officials said.
Luckily, exposure to humans is rare. California's most recent human rabies case occurred in 2024 in a Fresno County resident who was exposed to a bat in Merced County.
Bats are most active around sunset and play a vital ecological role as pollinators and pest control.
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