Warning Issued After Rabid Bat Discovered

The Ventura County Public Health Department is warning residents to take precautions after a rabid bat was found at a Ventura beach this week.

Human cases of rabies are rare, but if untreated, the disease is almost always fatal. To prevent exposure to rabies, Ventura County Health Officer Gary Feldman recommends avoiding contact with any dead, sick or strange-acting animals. Rabies, a disease of the central nervous system, is characterized by convulsions, choking and an inability to swallow.

Rabid animals can transmit the disease to humans through bites, and through open wounds, scratches or abrasions.

In Ventura County, skunks and bats are the most likely animals to transmit rabies to humans.

Officials stressed that fears of transmission from rodents, including squirrels, guinea pigs, gerbils and rats, are unfounded because those creatures rarely carry the disease.

In case of contact with an animal suspected of having rabies, health officials recommend meticulously washing the wounds, bites or scratches with soap and water, as well as contacting health care providers for post-exposure vaccine treatment.

Health officials also recommend vaccinating dogs and cats, keeping pets home, especially at night, and reporting stray dogs and cats to the Ventura County Animal Regulation Department at 388-4341.