Public Health officials reported several rabid bats have been found in Santa Clarita recently, prompting reminders from local veterinarians about the importance of vaccinations.

The number of rabid bats found in Los Angeles County has grown by 50 percent from July 18, when there were 12 reported for the year to the current count of 18.

Public Health officials released a map of where they were reported. Traditionally, the sightings are in rural areas of Los Angeles County, which includes much of Santa Clarita.

Nearly all of the rabies sightings in Los Angeles County occurred on private property (16 of 18) and one was found at a school and another was found indoor at a business.

1. Arcadia. March. Bat found alive outdoors clinging to edge of a curb.
2. Glendale. April. Bat found alive indoors at a business.
3. Los Angeles (Canoga Park). April. Bat found alive outdoors at a home.
4. Rosemead. April. Bat found face down on  the ground outside at a school.
5. Whittier. April. Bat flew into backyard at a home in daytime, flew into a person’s shirt.
6. Santa Clarita (Newhall). May. Bat found alive clinging to a fence at a home.
7. Santa Clarita (Canyon Country).May. Bat found alive outside on a patio at a home.
8. Stevenson Ranch. June. Bat found alive outdoors at a home.
9. Santa Clarita (Valencia). July. Bat found dead on driveway at a home.
10. Stevenson Ranch. July. Bat found alive hanging on a wall in a backyard.
11. Azusa. July. Bat found alive outdoors on a patio at a complex of homes.
12. Castaic. July. Bat found alive on driveway at a home, crawled under a car.
13. Santa Clarita (Canyon Country). July. Bat found walking on ground next to pool.
14. Stevenson Ranch. July. Bat found in pool.
15. Santa Clarita (Valencia). July. Bat found in backyard.
16. Santa Clarita (Canyon Country). July. Bay flying around in backyard, landed on tree, then wall, then behind a bush.
17. Santa Clarita (Canyon Country). July. Bat found on front porch.
18. Castaic. July. Bat in swimming poo

If anyone has come into contact with a rabid animal, they  should see a doctor immediately, according to the county Public Health notice.

From the Centers for Disease Control:

Rabies is a rare but deadly disease in humans that can generate significant fear and apprehension. I’d like to talk about how rabies virus is transmitted, identifying and diagnosing the disease, and safety precautions to be aware of when rabies is confirmed or suspected.

Rabies virus is transmitted most commonly by a bite from an infected mammal. Worldwide, the vast majority of cases are caused by rabid dogs. However, in the United States dogs are rarely infected due to successful animal control and vaccination programs. Nevertheless, every year approximately 39,000 people in the U.S. receive postexposure prophylaxis due to rabies exposure.

Death from rabies usually occurs due to exposures to indigenous rabid bats, skunks, or raccoons, or to rabid dogs while traveling overseas. For this reason, it is important that rabies be considered in all cases of unexplained encephalitis. Rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear. Fortunately, it can be prevented with almost 100% efficacy when postexposure prophylaxis, including rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin, is administered soon after a rabies exposure occurs.

Several factors need to be evaluated when considering rabies as a diagnosis. A history of a recent animal bite greatly increases the likelihood of rabies. However, its absence should not preclude suspicion, since patients often fail to recognize or report a history of animal contact. The incubation period of rabies can be several months or more and patients may not remember an exposure or may not realize its significance. Nearly a third of human rabies cases in the United States are acquired in rabies-endemic countries, so a recent history of overseas travel should also raise suspicion.

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