Four of the last five rabid bats confirmed in Los Angeles County in the past two weeks were found in the Santa Clarita Valley, pushing Santa Clarita toward the top of the list for rabies again this year.
Normally just eight to 10 rabies cases – commonly in bats – are identified in the entire county in any given year. So far in 2012, forty-five have been confirmed in L.A. County, ahead of the record-setting pace set last year when Santa Clarita led the way.
Health officials are at a loss to explain why rabies cases are on the rise.
This year, 15 of the 45 were found between Stevenson Ranch and Acton – where a rabid bat bit a person on the shoulder Aug. 3.
The county Department of Public Health assigns a number to each rabies incident. (Note: The Health Department includes Stevenson Ranch and Westridge within “Santa Clarita.”) The most recent incidents in SCV are listed as follows:
41. Santa Clarita. (Late) August. Bat found alive outside when a dog was barking at it.
42. Santa Clarita. (Late) August. Bat found on ground near a pool. Was moved off into bushes by resident. Bat later found walking back toward pool.
43. Santa Clarita. (Late) August. Bat seen hanging above a doorway for two days without moving.
45. Santa Clarita. (Early) Sept. Bat found dead on a driveway at a home.
2012 rabies reports through Sept. 6
Health officials say to call the Castaic Animal Shelter at 661-257-3191 if you see a bat flying during the daytime, or flopping around on the ground, or flying near pets or children when no food source is present. Those behaviors are signs the animal is suffering from some malady, and about 15 percent of the time, it’s rabies. (Among the entire bat population, less than 1 percent has rabies.)
Never touch a bat, and vaccinate your pets. A properly vaccinated pet that’s been exposed to rabies must be home-quarantined for just 30 days, versus a home-quarantine period of six months for pets that aren’t up to date on their shots.
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