Bats In The Business District; Rabid Bat Found In Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A live rabid bat was discovered in a business district parking lot in Anaheim, county health officials say. This is the third rabid bat discovered in Anaheim, and the fourth bat that tested positive for rabies in Orange County over the past couple of weeks, health officials said Thursday.

The recent increase was characterized as "unusual," health officials say, though rabid bats are routinely found each year in the county and nationally.

The bat was found about 8:30 p.m., Sept. 21, at 1200 N. Red Gum Street.

"Contact with any bats should be avoided and any potential bat bite should be discussed with a medical provider," an Orange County Health Agency spokesperson said.

If you had physical contact with this bat, or saw someone else having contact with the bat, it is essential to call the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) Communicable Disease Control Division at (714) 834-8180 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or (714) 834-7792 after hours to determine the risk for rabies.

Earlier this month, another bat was found about 4 p.m. Sept. 18 at the north entrance of a building in the 4300 block of East La Palma Avenue, according to the Orange County Health Agency.

On the same day, a bat that ultimately tested positive for rabies was found inside a bike rental shop at Irvine Regional Park, 1 Irvine Park Road.

The fourth bat found in Orange County was located at the east entrance of a commercial building in Anaheim on Sept. 13. It also tested positive for rabies. That bat was found about 3:45 p.m. at 1188 N. Euclid St.

What do you do if you see a bat? Don't go near it, officials say. The HCA and OC Animal Care recommend the following actions to minimize the risk of rabies:

• Avoid all contact with wild animals.
• Vaccinate all cats and dogs against rabies.
• Do not sleep with open unscreened windows or doors.
• If bats are seen inside the house or other structure, close off the area and contact animal control. Once the bat(s) have been removed, close off any areas allowing entrance into the house.
• Do not leave pet food outside where it will attract wild animals.
• Immediately wash all animal bites with soap and water, being sure to flush the wound well, then contact your doctor.
• Report all animal bites to OC Animal Care.
• Report stray animals to OC Animal Care.

Owners of pets who may have had contact with the bats should contact their veterinarian.

The rabies virus is found in an animal's saliva and is transmitted to people by a bite from a rabid animal. Although very rare, contamination of the eyes, mouth or an open wound by the saliva of a rabid animal can also transmit rabies.

Most cases of human rabies in the United States in recent years have resulted from bat strains of rabies. Because bats have very small teeth, their bites may go unnoticed.

Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease is always nearly fatal, which is why preventive treatment to stop the rabies virus from causing illness is given to anyone who may have been exposed. Doctors say medical assistance should be obtained promptly after an exposure so any wound can be cleaned and preventive treatment can be started.

More information about rabies is available at the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov/rabies.