Los Angeles County reports record number of rabies-positive bats in 2026
Seventy-six bats tested positive for rabies in Los Angeles County in 2026, the highest count on record, prompting health officials to advise residents to avoid contact with bats and keep pets vaccinated.
Los Angeles County health officials said 76 bats tested positive for rabies in 2026, surpassing the previous record of 69 the year before. The surge includes 24 rabid bats confirmed in August, representing about one-third of the specimens submitted for testing during that month.
"Bats are an important part of our environment, but they can be infected with and spread rabies, a disease that is almost always fatal once symptoms appear," said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County health officer.
The county has observed a steady rise in rabid bat detections over the past decade. Statewide, California reported 314 rabies-positive bats in 2025, up from 229 in 2024, a 37% increase.
In September, officials confirmed a rabies-positive raccoon in Westlake Village, the first such case in the county since 1973. The animal was found in a residential backyard; a dog that may have contacted the raccoon was up-to-date on its rabies vaccination and was placed under quarantine, while four workers potentially exposed were receiving follow-up care.
Health authorities urged residents to avoid handling bats, to report any found inside homes, and to ensure dogs and cats are current on rabies vaccinations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that rabies can be transmitted through bites, scratches, or contact with infected saliva, and that once symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal.