2nd OC Bat Tests Positive For Rabies; Residents Urged To Use Caution

SANTA ANA, CA — A second bat in Orange County has tested positive for rabies, health officials said.

The bat was found Thursday outside the main lobby of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Building on Alton Parkway in Irvine, the Orange County Health Care Agency reported.

Residents are urged to be on the alert and avoid any contact with bats. The disease is nearly always fatal for people who begin showing signs and symptoms of rabies.

"Any potential bat bite should be discussed with a medical provider," officials said.

Anyone who may have had physical contact with this bat in Irvine or who witnessed someone else having contact with the bat was asked to call the HCA Health Care Agency's Communicable Disease Control Division at 714-834-8180 to determine the risk for rabies. Also, pet owners who may have had contact with this bat should call their veterinarian.

The first bat was found on Sept. 14 at a parking lot at Pickleball Court No. 1 at the Fountain Valley Tennis Center on 16400 Brookhurst St. and tested positive for rabies.

Rabies is a virus found in an animal's saliva that can be transmitted to people by a bite from a rabid animal. Contamination of the eyes, mouth or an open wound by the saliva of a rabid animal can also transmit rabies, though these circumstances are rare.

In recent years, most cases of human rabies in the U.S. in have come from bats, which have very small teeth, and their bites may go unnoticed.

The HCA and OC Animal Care officials 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;
• 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.