A bat found in Long Beach has tested positive for rabies, marking the city’s first confirmed detection in more than a decade, health officials announced today.
The bat was submitted to and tested by the Long Beach Public Health Laboratory on Wednesday, according to the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services. Rabies-positive bats are detected in Los Angeles County each year, but the Long Beach case is the city’s first positive detection since 2014, health officials said.
Rabies is a viral disease that infects the brain and can be transmitted to people and animals through the bite of an infected animal. Once symptoms develop, the disease is almost always fatal, according to the Health Department.
Bats and skunks are the animals most commonly infected with rabies in California. Los Angeles County has seen a surge in rabies cases in bats recently.
Long Beach City Health Officer Dr. Cliff Okada urged residents not to touch bats or other wild animals and to prevent pets from coming into contact with them. Bat bites can be small and may go unnoticed, particularly if a person is sleeping.
Anyone who is bitten or scratched by a bat, or believes they may have had contact with one, should wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and immediately seek medical care, health officials said. Rabies can be prevented with prompt post-exposure treatment.
Residents who find a bat in or outside their homes, particularly near a sleeping person, child or pet, were advised not to touch or release it. If it can be done safely, the bat can be covered with a box or container and Long Beach Animal Care Services should be contacted at 562-570-7387 for guidance on collection and testing.
Health officials also urged residents to keep dogs and cats current on rabies vaccinations and contact Animal Care Services if a pet comes into contact with a bat or other wild animal.
Bats that are active during the day, found on the ground or unable to fly may be sick and should not be handled, officials said.
In recent years, about 17% of bats encountered by people or pets in Los Angeles County have tested positive for rabies, with the rate reaching as high as 33% in late summer, according to Los Angeles County Public Health.
A potential rabies exposure can occur when saliva or nervous tissue from an infected or potentially infected bat enters the body through a bite, scratch or wound, or through the eyes, nose or mouth.
Anyone who wakes to find a bat in the room, or finds one near a sleeping person, young child or pet, should contact a health care provider and Long Beach Animal Care Services for guidance, officials said.
More information about rabies, animal bites and potential exposures is available from the city’s Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control program at 562-570-4302.