County issues rabies warning concerning bats, other wild animals

SAN DIEGO COUNTY – With Halloween around the corner, fake bats are likely to be present at people’s homes. However, anyone who comes across a real bat at home or any other place should stay away from them, health officials said.

Bats, as well as skunks, raccoons, and other wild animals, can carry rabies, and touching them – even when dead – can expose you to the deadly disease.

“If you see a bat, dead or alive, don’t touch it,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., county public health officer. “Bats may be carriers of rabies, a disease that can be fatal in humans.”

The small teeth of a bat can make a bite difficult to find. Rabies transmission may also occur if a bat’s saliva comes in contact with a person’s open wounds or mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose or mouth.

From 2007 through August 2012, the county public health lab tested 312 bats for rabies. Fifty-two or 16 percent were positive for the disease. Additionally, one skunk and one fox also tested positive for rabies.

Bats are most often seen by people during the summer months when young bats leave the roost, insects are abundant, and people leave windows open at night to counter the heat. If a person finds a bat inside their home or on the ground on their property, they should contact the local animal control agency or humane society that provides animal control services in the area. They will catch the creature and have it submitted for rabies testing.

If direct contact with a bat does occur, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and get medical advice immediately.

Rabies can be prevented by avoiding contact with wild, stray, and unknown domestic animals; ensuring pets are up-to-date on rabies vaccinations; and receiving prompt medical advice following animal bites and other significant exposures to potentially rabid animals.

All three county animal shelters have rabies vaccination clinics for dogs four months of age and older for $6 every Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. Visit http://www.sddac.com for shelter locations.