OC Bat Tests Positive For Rabies; Residents Urged To Be Cautious

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA — A bat found at a parking lot in Orange County has tested positive for rabies, health officials reported.

The animal was found in Fountain Valley around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Pickleball Court No. 1 at the Fountain Valley Tennis Center on 16400 Brookhurst St, the Orange County Health Care Agency said in a statement.

Residents were urged to be on the alert avoid any contact with bats.

"Contact with bats should be avoided and any potential bat bite should be discussed with a medical provider," the agency said.

Anyone who may have had physical contact with this bat in Fountain Valley 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.

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 disease is nearly always fatal for people who begin showing signs and symptoms of rabies.

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.