The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is urging people to stay alert after confirming 61 rabid bats so far in 2025, the second-highest total ever recorded in LA County.

Only 2021 saw more, with 68 rabid bats confirmed.

While rabid bat detections can vary from year-to-year, this increase continues a decade-long upward trend. Awareness and prevention remain the best defenses against rabies exposure for both people and pets.

“Bats are vital to our environment, but they can also carry rabies, a disease that is almost always fatal once symptoms appear,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer. “Anyone who may have had contact with a bat should immediately speak with their medical provider or contact Public Health. Never touch a bat or any wild animals. Immediately report any bat found indoors, or outdoors if it appears sick, active during the day, unable to fly, or dead, to Animal Control.”

What Counts as Contact or Exposure

Exposure to a rabid bat, or a bat that might have rabies, happens anytime saliva or tissue from the bat could enter the body, such as through a bite, scratch, or contact with a wound, mouth, nose, or eyes.

Because bat bites are often so small they can go unnoticed, anyone who wakes up to find a bat in the room, or finds a bat near a sleeping person, child, or pet, should treat it as a possible exposure and contact Animal Control or Public Health right away.

If possible, do not release the bat so it can be safely collected and tested for rabies.

Rabid Bats Found Across Los Angeles County

Rabid bats have been found in every part of LA County, from suburban areas such as the San Fernando Valley to urban areas like downtown Los Angeles office buildings, public parks, schools, businesses, and residential backyards.

Rabid bat detections typically peak in late summer. In 2024, August saw the highest activity, with 23 rabid bats confirmed. That month, one in three bats (33%) reported by residents tested positive for rabies.

Higher Detection in Santa Clarita Valley

Over the past decade, the Santa Clarita Valley has recorded the most rabid bats in Los Angeles County, with the majority found among the Canyon Bat species, suggesting rabies may be circulating primarily within that local bat population.

To raise awareness, since 2018, Veterinary Public Health has conducted targeted outreach in communities where rabid bats have been detected to increase public awareness and encourage timely reporting. Increased awareness and reporting may also explain part of the higher detection rate in Santa Clarita, thanks to years of local outreach by Public Health. However, Public Health emphasizes that the elevated numbers still represent a real and ongoing public health concern.

Public Health Reminds Residents and Pet Owners: Never Touch a Bat

The most important rule is simple: never touch a bat or any wild animal and never allow pets to interact with them. Even small or unnoticed bites can transmit rabies.

Other safety practices include:

-Report and Test: If you find a bat in your home, especially near a sleeping person, child, or pet, carefully cover it with a box or container and call Animal Control immediately for collection and testing. Do not release it.

-Seek medical advice immediately: If a bat cannot be tested or tests positive for rabies, consult a physician or Public Health right away. Rabies is preventable with post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), a series of timely vaccines.

-Vaccinate your pets: Rabies is 100% fatal in animals once symptoms begin, but completely preventable through vaccination. This includes vaccinating indoor-only cats and older pets. Protecting your pets from rabies is one of the best ways to protect your whole family.

-Recognize signs of illness in bats: Bats that are active during the day, on the ground, or unable to fly may be sick. Contact Animal Control immediately for assistance. For post-exposure guidance, reach out to Veterinary Public Health at 213-288-7060.

-Know the risk: About 14% of bats that come into contact with people or pets in LA County test positive for rabies, rising to as high as 33% in late summer.

Residents can learn more about what to do if they encounter a bat by reviewing Public Health’s fact sheet: What To Do If You Find A Bat (PDF)

For more information, visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/rabies.htm