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Los Angeles health officials are warning residents to stay vigilant after they discovered the second-highest number of rabid bats on record this year. The LA County Department of Public Health said Wednesday that 61 bats have tested positive for rabies so far in 2025. The most recorded was 68 in 2021. A department news release stated that the rising count aligns with a “decade-long upward trend” in rabid bat detections county-wide. Health officials emphasized the risk posed by bats, even when human contact seems minimal. “Bats are vital to our environment, but they can also carry rabies, a disease that is almost always fatal once symptoms appear,” Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County Health Officer, said in a statement. “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,” he added. Rabid bats have been found throughout the county in suburban areas of the San Fernando Valley, in downtown L.A. buildings, and in parks, schools, businesses and the backyards of residences. The Santa Clarita Valley has also been identified as a key hotspot, historically recording the most rabid bats in the county. The release said that about 14 percent of bats that come into contact with people or pets test positive for rabies, and that detections typically spike in the late summer months. This year, the pattern held as 23 confirmed rabid bats were reported in August alone. Exposure to the rabies virus can occur through bat saliva or tissue entering the body through the mouth, eyes, nose, or a bite or scratch. Since bat bites are often small and go unnoticed, officials said anyone who finds a bat near a sleeping person, child, or pet should treat it as a possible rabies exposure and contact Animal Control or Public Health immediately. To reduce the risk of contracting rabies, officials urge the public not to handle bats or other wildlife, to secure pets by ensuring their rabies vaccinations are up-to-date, and to call animal control if a bat is found indoors, ideally covering the animal safely (for example, with a box) and having it collected and tested. Pet owners should also vaccinate all pets, even indoor or older ones, since rabies is always fatal once symptoms appear but fully preventable through vaccination, which also helps protect the entire household.
