County health officials are looking for people who may have come into contact with a rabid bat found in a parking lot in Oceanside, it was announced Monday.
The animal was found on the ground outside a Petco store at 2130 Vista Way last Wednesday around 9 a.m. It was collected by animal services and later tested positive for rabies.
"Human rabies is usually fatal without prompt post-exposure vaccine and treatment," said Dr. Seema Shah, county interim deputy public health officer. "Rabies transmission can happen from a bat bite or if a bat's saliva comes in contact with a cut or abrasion, or with mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth."
If you or someone you know came into contact with the bat that morning, you're being asked to contact County Public Health Services as soon as possible at 619-692-8499.
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A total of 10 rabid bats have been detected this year throughout the county. If you come in direct contact with a bat, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and get medical advice immediately, a county statement reads.
Rabies is a viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. Symptoms in people can take weeks to months to develop.
"Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal," a county statement read. "However, prompt post-exposure treatment following exposure to the virus will prevent the disease."
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BAT FUNGUS
Meanwhile, an invasive fungus that has killed millions of bats may be present in San Diego County, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Monday.
The fungus that causes "white-nose syndrome" has been positively detected in Humboldt, Sutter, Placer, Amador and Inyo counties. According to a Department of Fish and Wildlife statement, "inconclusive laboratory results suggest the fungus may also be present" in San Diego County, as well as Trinity, Siskiyou, Shasta, Plumas, Alpine, and San Bernardino counties.
Bats are a vital part of the ecosystem. The National Parks Service says bats pollinate plants and estimates they add up to $3.7 billion worth of pest control in the U.S. each year.
Officials said white-nose syndrome does not infect humans or other animals. However, humans can spread the disease if fungal spores from bat roosts cling to clothing or other items. The NPS has tips people should take if they come across areas where bats are found.
The disease -- so named for the white fuzzy fungal growth that appears on the faces of infected bats -- often causes bats to end their winter hibernation prematurely and seek food and water in the cold, risking death by starvation, dehydration, and/or exposure.
While the CDFW says the disease hasn't been observed in any bats in California — home to 25 different species — the fungal pathogen's presence could mean the disease will manifest "within the next years."
People who come across sick or dead bats, or notice bats acting strangely — such as flying or roosting outside during the winter— were advised not to handle the animals.
Instead, those sightings should be reported to CDFW here.
