In San Francisco, a rabies-infected bat has raised health worries.
A bat was found near Palo Verde Common in South Fremont on Tuesday, May 26, according to the Alameda County Vector Control Services. The bat tested positive for rabies.
Rabies is nearly usually fatal once symptoms like disorientation, agitation, restlessness, and excessive salivation start. Rabies is typically transmitted from animals to humans through animal bites.
Alameda County Vector Control stated that it is in charge of the inquiry because the bat was found “near a sidewalk within reachable distance of pedestrians and animals.”
As of as now, no exposures to humans or animals have been linked to the incident.
According to the police department, “rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that affects the brain and nervous system.””Humans and pets should avoid contact with bats and other wild animals that can carry rabies, including skunks, foxes, coyotes, and raccoons.” “It is preventable if the exposed person or animal receives a series of rabies vaccine shots as soon as possible after exposure.”
The event happened after a second bat in the Glenmoor area, which is close, tested positive for rabies in March.
Fears of both animal and human exposure were raised when a bat carrying the rabies virus was discovered in the San Francisco area (stock image).
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The press release urged locals to report sick or deceased animals to the Alameda County Public Health Department or Fremont Animal Services and to avoid touching them.
Residents were warned by officials to keep dogs confined to the property, especially if they are less than three months, and to vaccinate all dogs and cats against rabies.
Along with removing any outdoor pet food that can draw skunks and other rabies-carrying species, residents should also take out woodpiles, hollow logs, dense foliage, and rubbish to get rid of hiding places.
According to the government, closing gaps larger than 1/4 inch, particularly those close to the roof, can make a house bat-proof.
Dogs, raccoons, bats, coyotes, and foxes are among the animals that can spread the deadly rabies virus through their saliva. The majority of cases are caused by animal bites or scratches.
In one incredibly uncommon instance, Barney Kurowicki, a grandpa from Michigan, developed the illness in January 2025 following a kidney transplant.
It was believed that the kidney had a rabies infection.
Rabies causes inflammation as it gets to the brain via the spinal cord.
Fever, headache, anxiety, disorientation, and vomiting are among the early signs in people.
Patients experience restlessness, hallucinations, twitching and seizures, excessive salivation, and a dread of air or water blowing in their faces in later stages.
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Once symptoms appear, the illness is nearly invariably fatal.
There are hardly 20 reports of human survivors of rabies in the global medical literature.
Every year, roughly 60,000 Americans seek medical attention due to possible exposure, and about 5,000 animal cases of rabies are reported.
The CDC reports that less than ten Americans lose their lives to rabies each year.
A series of four to five vaccines must be administered as soon as a person believes or proves they have been exposed to rabies in order to either prevent or cure the disease.In the US, people are treated with Imovax Rabies and RabAvert.
