Weather 
LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Los Angeles County has confirmed 69 rabid bats this year, matching last year’s record and prompting public health officials Monday to urge residents to take precautions as peak bat season continues.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued the warning on World Rabies Day, which is observed annually Sept. 28.
Rabid bat detections have been trending upward in the county for more than a decade, according to the department. Twenty-four rabid bats were confirmed in August alone, and 32% of bats submitted by residents for rabies testing during the month tested positive.
Of the 69 rabid bats detected this year, 68% were found in the Santa Clarita Valley, continuing a trend seen during the past decade. Most were Canyon Bats, suggesting rabies may be circulating more intensely in that local bat population, according to Public Health.
“Bats are an important part of our environment, but they can be infected with and spread rabies, a disease that is almost always fatal once symptoms appear,” county Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said in a statement. “If you find a bat indoors or think you may have had contact with one, contact your medical provider or Public Health right away. And remember, 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 your local animal control.”
Public Health officials said rabid bats have been found throughout Los Angeles County, including the San Fernando Valley and downtown Los Angeles, and in locations including office buildings, parks, schools, businesses and residential backyards. About one-third of bat encounters occur indoors, where the risk of exposure is higher.
Exposure to a rabid bat or a bat that might have rabies can occur when saliva or tissue from the animal enters the body through a bite or scratch, or comes into contact with a wound, mouth, nose or eyes.
Because bat bites can be very small and may feel like a pinprick, they can go unnoticed, according to Public Health. Health officials said anyone who wakes up with a bat in the room or finds one near a sleeping person, child or pet should consider it a possible exposure and contact animal control or Public Health.
Officials advised residents not to release such bats so they can be safely collected and tested.
Rabies can be prevented following an exposure with post-exposure prophylaxis, a series of timely vaccines, according to Public Health.
Residents were also urged to keep their pets’ rabies vaccinations current, avoid touching bats and other wild animals and report bats that are active during the day, on the ground or unable to fly.
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 Public Health.
Officials also recommended that residents bat-proof their homes by sealing openings, installing heavy-duty wire mesh over vents, ensuring exterior doors close tightly and using window screens and chimney caps.
More information is available at ph.lacounty.gov/rabies.
2026, City News Service, Inc.
© 2026 by City News Service, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
