Rabies-positive bats detected in Berkeley prompting public health advisory
Five bats have tested positive for rabies in Berkeley, California, leading officials to advise residents on safety measures and reporting procedures.
City officials in Berkeley, California, have issued a public health advisory after five bats tested positive for rabies this year, a notable rise from the two or fewer cases reported annually over the previous six years. The memo, released by the city, warns residents to avoid handling bats and to seal entry points in homes.
The advisory notes that no human rabies cases have been identified locally, though a cat in nearby Pleasanton tested positive in June 2026. It advises anyone bitten or scratched by a bat to wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for 15 minutes and to seek medical attention promptly.
Residents are instructed to contact Alameda County Vector Control Services at (510) 567-6800 if they encounter a live or dead bat, whether indoors or outdoors. Yosemite National Park officials also reported a rabies-positive bat found in the park in May, stating that testing of deceased bats is part of routine wildlife disease monitoring and that only a small percentage test positive each year.