SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego County public health officials are asking anyone who may have come in contact with a bat last Saturday at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to contact them after the animal tested positive for rabies.
According to the county, the deceased bat was found 12:10 p.m. that day at the Oasis on the Rocks restaurant and was collected by a trained park employee. No human contact with the bat has been reported.
If you or someone in your family or group had direct contact with the bat, or you know of someone who may have touched the bat, County Public Health Services asks you to call 619-692-8499 as soon as possible.
Only those who have direct contact with the bat, such as touching or holding the animal, are at risk for rabies.
According to the county, the animal was not one of the park's collection of animals. The bat was tested on July 13, when the county's public health laboratory confirmed it had rabies.
This is the 19th bat to test positive for rabies in San Diego County this year. In 2025, 21 bats tested positive.
"Rabies is an extremely serious viral disease, one of the deadliest, with nearly 100% fatality if not caught early enough," said Dr. Ankita Kadakia, county deputy public health officer. "We are investigating to ensure anyone who came into contact with the bat receives care quickly. Once symptoms start, there is no treatment for rabies."
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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