Nine bats have tested positive for rabies in Santa Cruz County so far this year, compared with just three during all of 2025. The increase comes amid higher rabies figures elsewhere in California and rising reports across the United States.
The Santa Cruz County figures, first reported by KSBW, show an upward trend in recent years, with nine in 2026 compared with three in 2025. Statewide, California recorded 314 bats that tested positive for rabies in 2025, up from 229 the year before — a 37% increase, according to the same report.
The increase is not confined to Santa Cruz County. Berkeley alone found five rabies-positive bats in residential and commercial neighborhoods this year, well above the city's typical zero to two per year, according to the Sacramento Bee. The Bee also reported at least one rabid domestic cat in Alameda County. Los Angeles County had logged 61 rabid bats as of September 11, and the Bee reports California had recorded 252 animal rabies cases statewide by August 31, 232 of them bats.
Rabies Reports Rise Nationwide
The trend extends well beyond California. Rabies reports increased across the United States this year, and the CDC recorded a 17% increase in questions about human exposure to rabid or possibly rabid animals in July and August compared with the same period in 2025, according to CIDRAP. As of September 2, use of rabies vaccines was estimated to be up 33% and use of rabies immunoglobulins up 76% compared with the same period last year, the same outlet reported.
CIDRAP reported CDC warnings about rabies and increases in cases and human exposures.
Santa Cruz County health officials, meanwhile, say increased testing may have contributed to the higher number of bats testing positive, according to KSBW. Dr. Maris Brenn-White, a veterinarian for the Santa Cruz County animal shelter, said the increase is not alarming but that people should remain aware, avoid touching wildlife and make sure their pets are vaccinated. “Both dogs and cats should be vaccinated,” Brenn-White told the outlet.
What Officials Say to Do If You Encounter a Bat
Bats are nocturnal, so one seen flying or resting during the day, or found unable to fly on the ground, likely indicates the animal is unwell, according to the Chronicle's reporting. People should not approach or touch a downed bat; instead, officials advise wearing gloves and using a broom or similar tool to check whether it is alive. If a bat is alive but cannot fly away, people should cover it with a box or bucket and contact Animal Control, per KSBW's guidance, and the same approach applies to a dead bat before taking it in for removal.
Anyone who sees a bat in their home should contact their state health department or visit an emergency room even if they do not believe they were bitten, CIDRAP reports. Santa Cruz County offers free home bat-exclusion inspections, particularly for homes with a history of finding bats indoors, according to Santa Cruz County Mosquito and Vector Control. Dogs should be leashed and kept at least 150 feet from sick wildlife, and people generally should not approach wild animals, especially those appearing sick or injured, per the Chronicle.
Why Rabies Remains So Dangerous
The incubation period can last weeks, with early symptoms including fever, headache and fatigue. Once symptoms begin, rabies is fatal, and death typically occurs within weeks, according to KSBW — people who develop symptoms almost certainly die.
Despite the severity, fewer than ten Americans die from rabies each year, reflecting how rare human cases remain even as exposures and testing climb. Post-exposure prophylaxis is highly effective, and almost everyone who receives it avoids illness. The treatment includes wound care, human rabies immune globulin and a four-dose vaccine series, according to the CDC.
Most U.S. rabies deaths involve exposure to a rabid bat.
Beyond bats, other animals have made headlines this year. A Virginia woman reportedly woke up with a bat in her mouth in August, a rabid beaver attacked a child in Maryland on July 26, and an otter attacked two people in separate incidents while they swam in Lake Tahoe in August, according to the Chronicle's reporting. Rabid baby goats were also reported at a North Carolina petting zoo attended by hundreds of visitors this summer.
Local officials advise people to avoid wildlife, especially anything acting strangely, keep pets current on their rabies vaccines, and seek medical attention quickly if a bat encounter raises any doubt.
