A bat found at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has tested positive for rabies, the county says, warning anyone who touched it to report in.
The county Health and Human Services Agency reported the case Tuesday.
The bat was found alive at 1:30 Saturday afternoon at the Oasis Deli in Nairobi Village. Park staff collected the bat without directly touching it and no human or animal contact has been reported.
The bat, which was not one of the park’s animals, was delivered to the county Monday, and testing confirmed the animal as positive for rabies.
County health officials are trying to determine if anyone who was in the park June 11 directly handled the rabid bat.
Anyone who had contact with the bat is urged to contact the county as soon as possible at (619) 692-8499.
“Human rabies is usually fatal without prompt post-exposure vaccine and treatment,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, county public health officer. “There has been no reported human or animal contact with this bat, but it was found in an area where many park visitors pass by, and we want to make sure that no one had contact with it.”
Rabies transmission can occur from a bat bite or if a bat’s saliva comes in contact with a cut or abrasion, or with mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth.
“People should always stay away from bats and other wild animals to prevent possible exposure to rabies,” Wooten said. “If you see a bat, dead or alive, don’t touch it.”
Rabies in humans 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. Rabies is not uncommon in wild bats in San Diego County.
If direct contact with a bat does occur, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical advice immediately, the county says.
— County News Center
