Rabid Bat Startles Patrons At San Diego County Restaurant

VISTA, CA — San Diego County public health officials are looking for anyone who may have had contact with a rabid bat found Sunday at a Vista restaurant.

The bat landed on a table at Yellow Deli Restaurant while a family was eating around 1 p.m., according to the county. Another diner used a towel to collect the bat and brought it to the San Diego Humane Society in Oceanside, which transferred it to the County's Public Health Lab, where it tested positive for rabies.

No direct skin contact with the bat has been reported, officials said. Only people who touched or held the bat are considered at risk for rabies exposure.

Officials urged anyone who had direct contact with the bat or knows someone who may have to contact a health care provider as soon as possible. Rabies post-exposure treatment is highly effective when given before symptoms begin, but the disease is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.

The bat is the 22nd in San Diego County to test positive for rabies this year. In 2025, 21 bats tested positive.

Health officials reminded residents not to touch or approach bats or other wildlife. Anyone who comes into contact with a bat should wash the exposed area with soap and seek medical advice.

Bats are a common source of rabies in California, though human cases remain rare. The state's most recent human rabies case occurred in 2024 in a Fresno County resident who was exposed to a bat in Merced County, officials said.