A bat infected by the rage was found near Lake Rancho Santa Margarita in the County of Orange this month, the health authorities said.
The bat was discovered on April 17 and carried out for tests as part of the surveillance effort of the county rage, according to the OC Health Care Agency. The carcass of the infected bat was frozen and then sent to the California Department of Public Health.
The OC Health Care Agency encourages anyone who has established physical contact with the bat – or has seen someone else do it – to inform their disease control division in order to determine the risk of infection. Pet owners who may have hit the bat are also invited to contact the health authorities.
Rage is almost always fatal in humans once someone is starting to show symptoms, according to the health care agency. This is why it is important for people to request medical help quickly after a possible exposure, according to officials.
The virus spreads through the saliva of an infected animal, generally during a bite. Because bats have small teeth, their bites generally go unnoticed, which increases the risk of infection.
In April, the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department Dampeared two rabid bats this year, both in the Santa Clarita region. One of the bats was found dead in a residential courtyard, the other was alive in the courtyard before a house.
In 2024, County of Fresno recorded its first human rage the death of the rage in more than 30 years. The person was infected after being bitten by a bat.
Rage human cases are rare, but bats are the main source of transmission, according to Orange County health officials.
California Daily Newspapers
