Inyo County HHS, Public Health would like to remind visitors and residents not to touch, handle, or feed wildlife. Two bats in Inyo County have been secured and tested positive for rabies, since April 2023.
On September 18, 2023, Inyo County Public Health received a report that a bat was seen behaving strangely in the northeast area of Bishop. It was reported to have been flying towards people and livestock in the middle of the day. Without making bare-skin contact, a resident secured the bat and brought it to a local veterinarian office for further testing. The veterinarian clinic contacted Inyo County Animal Control, who sent it to California Department of Public Health for testing. On September 21, 2023, the results of the bat returned positive for rabies.
Anyone who may have had contact with this bat should contact Inyo County Health Department for clinical guidance at 760-873-7868. If you suspect your animal came into contact with this bat, please notify your local veterinary clinic.
Rabies is usually fatal unless treated before symptoms begin. Humans can get rabies through contact with an infected animal’s saliva, typically through a bite or scratch. Any mammal can carry rabies. People should be especially concerned when an animal is behaving aggressively or does not show a normal fear of humans.
How to stay safe around wildlife
- Never approach, touch, feed, or pick up a wild animal. Please enjoy wildlife from a safe distance.
- Do not approach if you see sick, dead, or erratically behaving wildlife.
- Humans and pets should avoid contact with bats.
- Make sure all pets are up to date with rabies vaccines.
- Consult with your doctor in the event you have been in contact with an animal thought to be rabid.
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Related: “Death Valley Park Rangers Warn About Interacting with Wildlife; Woman Bit by Rabid Bat”
