Pasadena residents are being cautioned by local health officials to stay away from bats after one such creature, found deceased, tested positive for rabies—a first for the area since 2019. The discovery made near the intersection of E. Green St. and S. Hudson Ave. could signal a resurgence of the lethal virus in local bat populations. Manuel Carmona, Acting Director of Public Health, emphasized the significance of the find in a statement obtained by NBC Los Angeles, “While the last rabid bat in Pasadena was found in 2019, there is the potential for additional rabid bats in the region.”
Bearing in mind, the season's heightened risk as rabid bats are most typically identified between July and September in Los Angeles County, the public is urged to adhere to safety precautions. If encountering a bat, it is critical to avoid touching it with bare hands, and for injured, sick, or dead bats—reporting them is encouraged. According to the Pasadena Public Health Department, “Any contact by humans or pets with a rabid bat is a very serious health concern. Rabies is often a fatal disease and requires timely preventive medical treatment,” warning that the resulting scratch or bite could transmit the infection to humans or other animals.
For those who might come into skin contact with a bat, the protocol is immediate and involves washing the affected area with soap and water and seeking medical attention without delay. The Pasadena Public Health Department's acting health officer, Dr. Parveen Kaur, reinforced this in a statement, “Any contact with bats or other wild animals should be avoided. A scratch from a tooth or bite from a rabid animal could cause rabies infection in people or other animals.”
Pasadenans have been assured, however, that the risk to humans remains low as there have been no reports of rabies in humans within the locale. Should residents come across a dead or dying bat, they are directed to contact Pasadena Humane at (626) 792-7151, the appointed local agency for carcass collection and rabies testing, as opposed to handling the animals themselves. As precautionary guidance for pet owners, and to ensure the well-being of their animals, any suspected encounters with bats should be discussed with a veterinarian immediately. As part of educating the public on this matter, the Pasadena Public Health Department suggests visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website for more comprehensive information on rabies and its symptoms, as cited by the city's Public Health Department news release.
