County warns public about rabid bats found in Escondido
Dante Ulanday - News Moderator 
Public health officials on Wednesday were looking for people who may have come in contact with two bats found in Escondido that later tested positive for rabies.
The first bat was discovered around 4 p.m. Saturday in a grassy area near the White Oak Villas condo complex. The animal was retrieved by the San Diego Humane Society.
The second wild bat was found at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park just after 10 a.m. Sunday. It was not a bat from a park habitat, according to a San Diego County news release.
Park visitors who had no physical contact with the bat are not at risk for rabies. The bat was found on a rock wall outside of the Okavango Restaurant and safely collected by a trained staff member.
“Human rabies is almost always fatal without prompt postexposure vaccination and treatment,” said Dr. Sayone Thihalilopavan, the county’s public health officer.
The officer warned that rabies can be transmitted through a bite or when bat saliva comes into contact with a cut, scrape, or the eyes, nose or mouth and added this reminder – it is essential for the public to remember not to touch bats or handle wildlife.
These two latest bats with confirmed rabies are the fourth and fifth rabid bats the county has detected this year.
The County Public Health Laboratory confirmed the infection in the bats. Those who may have interacted with or had direct contact with a bat in those areas were urged to contact County Public Health Services as soon as possible at 619-692-8499.
Those who do come in direct contact with a bat are urged to wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and get medical advice immediately.
Rabies is a preventable viral disease that is most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The last human rabies case in San Diego County was in 2001 in a person who was bitten by a dog in the Philippines, according to the county.
Symptoms of rabies in people can take weeks to months to develop after exposure. Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal, but prompt post-exposure treatment will prevent the disease, health officials said.
