The Los Angeles County Public Health Department is warning residents about rabid bats, indicating that they are more common during the summer and fall.
They advise people never to touch a bat with their bare hands and to report injured, sick or dead bats.
Healthy bats are good for the environment and typically sleep during the day and only emerge at dusk, officials explained.
While only 1% of bats in nature have rabies, about 15% of bats found near people and pets in L.A. County end up testing positive for rabies, according to the health department.
Last year, officials identified 50 rabid bats, and so far this year, six rabid bats have been found; three were found in Santa Clarita, while one was found in Altadena, Glendale and in the Griffith Park area, respectively.
How can you tell if a bat has rabies?
Health officials explain that rabid bats are more likely to fly during daylight hours, appear on the ground, or be resting for long periods in highly visible areas. However, bats with rabies might be found alive or dead and you can’t confirm if one is rabid just by looking at it, officials warned.
They remind residents that rabies can be fatal to humans and pets if preventative treatment is not given before symptoms appear.
It is transmitted by a bite or scratch from a tooth of a rabid animal.
Offices explained that many of the bats in L.A. County have very small teeth, and bites from bats can be too shallow and small to be easily detected, and can therefore heal over quickly.
“Bats found inside of a house with any access to people sleeping, children, or pets may have bitten a person or pet without waking them or leaving a visible bite wound,” health officials detailed. “After an exposure to rabies, a person must get urgent treatment to prevent illness.”
Here’s what to do if you encounter a bat:
- Never touch a bat with your bare hands.
- Understand that bats are protected wildlife and that they are beneficial to the environment. Therefore, it is illegal for the public to kill, harm or keep them, and any bat that may have been exposed a person or pet to rabies needs to be tested.
- Do not release a bat outside if it was found indoors or if it was handled with bare hands. Instead, cover it with a box and call animal control to request that it be tested. Additionally, any bat that may have bitten or had contact with a person or pet will need to be collected and tested.
- If a bat is found outside and is sick, not moving or dead, place a box or bucket over it and call animal control to retrieve and test it.
- Seek help quickly if you have been exposed to rabies. After a bite or a bat encounter, call 213-288-7060, or email vet@ph.lacounty.gov to discuss the risk of rabies exposure. To report bites in Pasadena, call the Pasadena Humane Society at 626-792-7151; for Long Beach call Long Beach Animal Control at 562-570-7387 and for Vernon call its health department at 323-583-8811.
- Keep pets safe from rabies by making sure their rabies vaccinations are up to date. Indoor-only cats and dogs should still be vaccinated against rabies since some rabid bats are found indoors.
Health officials have a flyer on what to do if you find a bat. It is available online here.
For more information on bats and rabies, visit the health department’s fact sheet.