- October 18, 2022
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Rabid bat found in Palo Alto Baylands | News | Mountain View Online | – Mountain View Voice
News
by Sue Dremann / Palo Alto Weekly
Uploaded: Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 3:41 pm 0
Time to read: about 4 minutes
The Myotis yumanensis (Yuma myotis) is a bat species that can be found in western North America, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Courtesy Daniel Neal/Wikimedia Commons under the the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
The Palo Alto Animal Control Division is warning the public to be aware of the presence of rabies at the Palo Alto Baylands after a bat found last week tested positive for the disease.
A notice alerts the public to a rabid bat found at the Emily Renzel Marsh in Palo Alto on Oct. 12, 2022. Courtesy Palo Alto Animal Control.
The ailing bat was found on the ground by visitors close to the pond at the Emily Renzel Marsh on Oct. 12. The bat tested positive for rabies, the animal control division said in an Instagram post.
“Bats rarely attack or bite people except when handled. Please never touch bats, especially if they appear to be sick or dead and always teach this to your children,” animal control said.
Palo Alto Animal Control frequently receives calls for bats, the division said.
“If they are just trapped in a building and there’s not a possibility of human/domestic animal exposure, we release them. However, bats on the ground usually mean they’re sick (sometimes just overheated) and the potential for exposure goes up. It’s very possible someone could pick it up or a dog or other animal may think it’s a tasty treat,” the division said.
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“There was no known exposure for this particular bat. However, since we placed it on a tree and he wasn’t doing well, we decided to euthanize and test for rabies.”
Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system of mammals, including humans, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. In U.S. wildlife, it is most commonly found in bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, although any mammal can become infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Rabies is rare in people in the U.S. The CDC said only one to three cases are reported annually, but each year about 60,000 Americans receive post-exposure prophylaxis, a series of injections, to prevent rabies after being bitten or scratched by an infected or suspected infected animal. About 90% of reported cases of rabies in animals occur in wildlife.
Contact with infected bats is the leading cause of rabies deaths in people in the U.S. At least 7 out of 10 people who die from rabies in the country were infected by bats, according to the CDC.
In 2020, six bats tested positive for rabies in Santa Clara County and four bats were positive in San Mateo County, according to a 2020 annual rabies surveillance report by the California Department of Public Health.
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In California, rabies was confirmed in 248 animals in 2020, less than the 276 cases confirmed in 2019, but 11% above the annual average of 224 cases in 2010-2019, according to the annual report. Of the total, 246 were found in wild animals in 2020. Bats accounted for 221 cases, or 89.1%. Skunks represented 24 cases, or 9.7%, and a single fox had rabies. In 2020, one domestic cat and one dog tested positive for rabies.
The number of cases of rabid wild animals also rose. In 2020, the 221 reported rabid bats was 14.5% higher than the annual average of 193 reported in the preceding 10 years, 2010-2019, according to the state public health department.
Rabies was not diagnosed in any California resident in 2020, but two cases of rabies were diagnosed in people in the state between 2010 and 2019. The most recent case was in a Contra Costa County resident in 2012, according to the state public health department.
Wildlife also can infect domestic pets such as cats and dogs, which might hunt, tangle with or pick up an infected animal. Dogs, cats, pet ferrets and some horses should be vaccinated against rabies, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) said on its website.
If a pet comes into contact with a potentially rabid animal or has been bitten, even if the pet has a current vaccination, it should be revaccinated immediately, kept under the owner’s control, and observed for a period as specified by state law or local ordinance, according to the AVMA.
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Exposure to rabies by unvaccinated pets can have heartbreaking consequences. In dogs and cats, rabies is 100% fatal and is also deadly in humans if not treated right away, San Mateo County Health noted on its website.
Animals with expired vaccinations must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Dogs, cats and ferrets that have never been vaccinated and are exposed to a rabid animal might be euthanized or placed in strict isolation for six months. Animals other than dogs, cats and ferrets bitten by a rabid or potentially rabid animal may need to be euthanized immediately, the AVMA said.
The best way to prevent a pet from rabies infection is to keep their rabies vaccinations up to date.
“When you receive a reminder that your dog license is expiring, it’s time to update your dogs’ rabies vaccine. Also keep dogs on leash to minimize close encounters with grounded bats. Laws like our municipal leash code and State mandated rabies vaccination law help protect you and your pets,” Palo Alto Animal Control said.
Anyone who sees a bat that doesn’t seem well should call their local animal control agency, animal control said. In Palo Alto, Los Altos or Los Altos Hills, people are asked to contact the agency through the nonemergency police dispatch line at 650-329-2413 or contact the Santa Clara County Vector Control District at 408-918-4770.
Mountain View, Campbell, Monte Sereno and Santa Clara residents should report animal bites and suspicious or sick wildlife to the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority by calling 408-764-0344.
Anyone who comes into contact with a bat is asked to call Santa Clara County Public Health Department at 408-885-4214.
In San Mateo County, anyone who comes into contact with a bat or who is bitten by an animal should contact San Mateo County Health and call the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA at 650-340-8200.
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by Sue Dremann / Palo Alto Weekly
Uploaded: Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 3:41 pm
The Palo Alto Animal Control Division is warning the public to be aware of the presence of rabies at the Palo Alto Baylands after a bat found last week tested positive for the disease.
The ailing bat was found on the ground by visitors close to the pond at the Emily Renzel Marsh on Oct. 12. The bat tested positive for rabies, the animal control division said in an Instagram post.
“Bats rarely attack or bite people except when handled. Please never touch bats, especially if they appear to be sick or dead and always teach this to your children,” animal control said.
Palo Alto Animal Control frequently receives calls for bats, the division said.
“If they are just trapped in a building and there’s not a possibility of human/domestic animal exposure, we release them. However, bats on the ground usually mean they’re sick (sometimes just overheated) and the potential for exposure goes up. It’s very possible someone could pick it up or a dog or other animal may think it’s a tasty treat,” the division said.
“There was no known exposure for this particular bat. However, since we placed it on a tree and he wasn’t doing well, we decided to euthanize and test for rabies.”
Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system of mammals, including humans, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. In U.S. wildlife, it is most commonly found in bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, although any mammal can become infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Rabies is rare in people in the U.S. The CDC said only one to three cases are reported annually, but each year about 60,000 Americans receive post-exposure prophylaxis, a series of injections, to prevent rabies after being bitten or scratched by an infected or suspected infected animal. About 90% of reported cases of rabies in animals occur in wildlife.
Contact with infected bats is the leading cause of rabies deaths in people in the U.S. At least 7 out of 10 people who die from rabies in the country were infected by bats, according to the CDC.
In 2020, six bats tested positive for rabies in Santa Clara County and four bats were positive in San Mateo County, according to a 2020 annual rabies surveillance report by the California Department of Public Health.
In California, rabies was confirmed in 248 animals in 2020, less than the 276 cases confirmed in 2019, but 11% above the annual average of 224 cases in 2010-2019, according to the annual report. Of the total, 246 were found in wild animals in 2020. Bats accounted for 221 cases, or 89.1%. Skunks represented 24 cases, or 9.7%, and a single fox had rabies. In 2020, one domestic cat and one dog tested positive for rabies.
The number of cases of rabid wild animals also rose. In 2020, the 221 reported rabid bats was 14.5% higher than the annual average of 193 reported in the preceding 10 years, 2010-2019, according to the state public health department.
Rabies was not diagnosed in any California resident in 2020, but two cases of rabies were diagnosed in people in the state between 2010 and 2019. The most recent case was in a Contra Costa County resident in 2012, according to the state public health department.
Wildlife also can infect domestic pets such as cats and dogs, which might hunt, tangle with or pick up an infected animal. Dogs, cats, pet ferrets and some horses should be vaccinated against rabies, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) said on its website.
If a pet comes into contact with a potentially rabid animal or has been bitten, even if the pet has a current vaccination, it should be revaccinated immediately, kept under the owner’s control, and observed for a period as specified by state law or local ordinance, according to the AVMA.
Exposure to rabies by unvaccinated pets can have heartbreaking consequences. In dogs and cats, rabies is 100% fatal and is also deadly in humans if not treated right away, San Mateo County Health noted on its website.
Animals with expired vaccinations must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Dogs, cats and ferrets that have never been vaccinated and are exposed to a rabid animal might be euthanized or placed in strict isolation for six months. Animals other than dogs, cats and ferrets bitten by a rabid or potentially rabid animal may need to be euthanized immediately, the AVMA said.
The best way to prevent a pet from rabies infection is to keep their rabies vaccinations up to date.
“When you receive a reminder that your dog license is expiring, it’s time to update your dogs’ rabies vaccine. Also keep dogs on leash to minimize close encounters with grounded bats. Laws like our municipal leash code and State mandated rabies vaccination law help protect you and your pets,” Palo Alto Animal Control said.
Anyone who sees a bat that doesn’t seem well should call their local animal control agency, animal control said. In Palo Alto, Los Altos or Los Altos Hills, people are asked to contact the agency through the nonemergency police dispatch line at 650-329-2413 or contact the Santa Clara County Vector Control District at 408-918-4770.
Mountain View, Campbell, Monte Sereno and Santa Clara residents should report animal bites and suspicious or sick wildlife to the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority by calling 408-764-0344.
Anyone who comes into contact with a bat is asked to call Santa Clara County Public Health Department at 408-885-4214.
In San Mateo County, anyone who comes into contact with a bat or who is bitten by an animal should contact San Mateo County Health and call the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA at 650-340-8200.
The Palo Alto Animal Control Division is warning the public to be aware of the presence of rabies at the Palo Alto Baylands after a bat found last week tested positive for the disease.
The ailing bat was found on the ground by visitors close to the pond at the Emily Renzel Marsh on Oct. 12. The bat tested positive for rabies, the animal control division said in an Instagram post.
“Bats rarely attack or bite people except when handled. Please never touch bats, especially if they appear to be sick or dead and always teach this to your children,” animal control said.
Palo Alto Animal Control frequently receives calls for bats, the division said.
“If they are just trapped in a building and there’s not a possibility of human/domestic animal exposure, we release them. However, bats on the ground usually mean they’re sick (sometimes just overheated) and the potential for exposure goes up. It’s very possible someone could pick it up or a dog or other animal may think it’s a tasty treat,” the division said.
“There was no known exposure for this particular bat. However, since we placed it on a tree and he wasn’t doing well, we decided to euthanize and test for rabies.”
Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system of mammals, including humans, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. In U.S. wildlife, it is most commonly found in bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, although any mammal can become infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Rabies is rare in people in the U.S. The CDC said only one to three cases are reported annually, but each year about 60,000 Americans receive post-exposure prophylaxis, a series of injections, to prevent rabies after being bitten or scratched by an infected or suspected infected animal. About 90% of reported cases of rabies in animals occur in wildlife.
Contact with infected bats is the leading cause of rabies deaths in people in the U.S. At least 7 out of 10 people who die from rabies in the country were infected by bats, according to the CDC.
In 2020, six bats tested positive for rabies in Santa Clara County and four bats were positive in San Mateo County, according to a 2020 annual rabies surveillance report by the California Department of Public Health.
In California, rabies was confirmed in 248 animals in 2020, less than the 276 cases confirmed in 2019, but 11% above the annual average of 224 cases in 2010-2019, according to the annual report. Of the total, 246 were found in wild animals in 2020. Bats accounted for 221 cases, or 89.1%. Skunks represented 24 cases, or 9.7%, and a single fox had rabies. In 2020, one domestic cat and one dog tested positive for rabies.
The number of cases of rabid wild animals also rose. In 2020, the 221 reported rabid bats was 14.5% higher than the annual average of 193 reported in the preceding 10 years, 2010-2019, according to the state public health department.
Rabies was not diagnosed in any California resident in 2020, but two cases of rabies were diagnosed in people in the state between 2010 and 2019. The most recent case was in a Contra Costa County resident in 2012, according to the state public health department.
Wildlife also can infect domestic pets such as cats and dogs, which might hunt, tangle with or pick up an infected animal. Dogs, cats, pet ferrets and some horses should be vaccinated against rabies, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) said on its website.
If a pet comes into contact with a potentially rabid animal or has been bitten, even if the pet has a current vaccination, it should be revaccinated immediately, kept under the owner’s control, and observed for a period as specified by state law or local ordinance, according to the AVMA.
Exposure to rabies by unvaccinated pets can have heartbreaking consequences. In dogs and cats, rabies is 100% fatal and is also deadly in humans if not treated right away, San Mateo County Health noted on its website.
Animals with expired vaccinations must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Dogs, cats and ferrets that have never been vaccinated and are exposed to a rabid animal might be euthanized or placed in strict isolation for six months. Animals other than dogs, cats and ferrets bitten by a rabid or potentially rabid animal may need to be euthanized immediately, the AVMA said.
The best way to prevent a pet from rabies infection is to keep their rabies vaccinations up to date.
“When you receive a reminder that your dog license is expiring, it’s time to update your dogs’ rabies vaccine. Also keep dogs on leash to minimize close encounters with grounded bats. Laws like our municipal leash code and State mandated rabies vaccination law help protect you and your pets,” Palo Alto Animal Control said.
Anyone who sees a bat that doesn’t seem well should call their local animal control agency, animal control said. In Palo Alto, Los Altos or Los Altos Hills, people are asked to contact the agency through the nonemergency police dispatch line at 650-329-2413 or contact the Santa Clara County Vector Control District at 408-918-4770.
Mountain View, Campbell, Monte Sereno and Santa Clara residents should report animal bites and suspicious or sick wildlife to the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority by calling 408-764-0344.
Anyone who comes into contact with a bat is asked to call Santa Clara County Public Health Department at 408-885-4214.
In San Mateo County, anyone who comes into contact with a bat or who is bitten by an animal should contact San Mateo County Health and call the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA at 650-340-8200.
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