The Pasadena Public Health Department cautions the public to avoid contact with bats. Recent reports from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health indicated bats are testing positive for rabies in the Pasadena area.
So far this year, 15 bats found throughout Los Angeles County have tested positive for rabies, County Health Officials said. Although on average there are eight to 12 rabid bats detected locally each year, there were 38 bats found throughout the county last year that tested positive for rabies.
Pasadena Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Walsh reminds everybody that “if you see a bat, never touch it.”
Instead, contact authorities or the Pasadena Humane Society at (626) 792-7151 to capture and properly handle the bat, Dr. Walsh said. Anyone who has touched a bat or who may have had contact with bats should call the Pasadena Public Health Department Nursing Unit immediately at (626) 744-6089. Also make sure that your dog or cat vaccinations are current to prevent rabies infection.
For more information, go online to the Rabies Brochure on Pasadena Public Health Department’s website at http://cityofpasadena.net/publichealth/environmental_health_sevices/. For more than 120 years, the Pasadena Public Health Department has worked to promote and protect the health of the Pasadena community.
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