Rabies Infested Bat Found in Long Beach

Health officials in Long Beach are warning residents to avoid contacts with bats, after one of the mammals was found near downtown and tested positive for rabies.

The bat was discovered Wednesday at Victory Park near Ocean Boulevard and Seaside Way.

The resident who found the bat did not handle the animal and immediately notified Animal Care Services, which took the creature to the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Laboratory for testing.

The bat was identified as a Mexican Free-Tail bat, one of the most common species to be reported with rabies. It is not known how long the bat had been at the park.

“Direct contact with any bat should be avoided,” says Dr. Mitchell Kushner, the city’s health officer. “If you have been bitten or scratched by at bat, or have directly handled one, seek medical attention immediately and report this to Animal Care Services.”

Rabies is a virus that causes a severe brain infection in mammals and humans that is usually fatal. Any wild mammal can be infected with rabies, but the disease is most commonly found in bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes and coyotes.

-City News Service

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons