Bat Found At Laguna Niguel Regional Park Tests Positive For Rabies
LAGUNA NIGUEL (CBSLA) — A bat that was found at Laguna Niguel Regional Park over the weekend has tested positive for rabies, Orange County Health Care Agency officials said Thursday.
The bat was found at the park, 28241 La Paz Rd., on Saturday.
Public health officials say that even though human rabies is very rare, most U.S. cases in recent years have resulted from bat strains of rabies.
Rabies can spread from the bite or scratch of an infected animal if its saliva gets into the wound, authorities said. Bats have very small teeth and their bites can go unnoticed.
Anyone who may have had physical contact with a bat or someone else making contact with a bat should call the OC Health Care Agency's Communicable Disease Control Division at (714) 834-8180. People whose pets who may have made contact with a bat should likewise contact their veterinarian.
For more information about rabies exposure and prevention, visit the CDC's website.