Los Angeles County has confirmed 66 rabid bats so far this year, two short of its all-time high of 68 set in 2021, according to the county Department of Public Health’s 2026 rabies map, last updated Sept. 21. Statewide, California counted 252 rabid animals from Jan. 1 through Aug. 31, including 232 bats, 19 skunks, and one dog, according to provisional figures from the California Department of Public Health’s animal rabies table that were reported by KCLU.
These are animal cases, not human ones. The risk that matters for households is exposure. In Los Angeles County, most rabid bats this year turned up where families live, including backyards, driveways, pools, and patios, and in several cases inside homes, often with a dog or cat nearby. A single unnoticed contact can lead to a costly series of shots for a person and strict follow-up measures for an unvaccinated pet.
A Statewide Count Nearing a Full Year’s Total in Eight Months
The 252 animals counted through August nearly match the 254 rabid animals California reported for all of 2024 and exceed the 202 reported for all of 2023, according to CDPH’s final tables for those years. The 2026 figure is provisional and could change.
Timing makes the number more notable. Rabid bat reports in California typically peak from summer into early fall, and September and October detections are not yet included in the statewide total. Higher counts can also reflect more testing, because the bats that reach labs are ones that people found and reported.
Neighboring Ventura County has confirmed 27 rabid bats this year, a county record, up from 22 last year and six the year before. «We don’t know why this increase is happening,» said Randy Friedman of Ventura County Animal Services.
Santa Clarita at the Center of Los Angeles County’s Detections
The county’s detailed list shows about two-thirds of this year’s rabid bats came from the Santa Clarita Valley, including Valencia, Newhall, Canyon Country, Castaic, and Stevenson Ranch. Others were found in Burbank, Glendale, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Glendora, Monrovia, and several Los Angeles neighborhoods.
The entries read like a household checklist. Bats were found in swimming pools, tucked between patio furniture cushions, on front porches, inside a bedroom and a living room, and in the mouths of dogs. At least three exposures involved cats or dogs that were not up to date on rabies vaccines, the list shows.
When the county reported a near-record count last year, Los Angeles County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis put the core message simply: «Never touch a bat or any wild animals.» The county’s rabies guidance asks residents to report any bat found indoors, or any bat outdoors that appears sick, is active during the day, cannot fly, or is dead.
Treatment Demand and Costs Are Rising Nationally
California’s numbers arrive as federal health officials warn of a national increase in human rabies exposures. In a Sept. 10 health advisory, the CDC said it received 17% more rabies-related inquiries in July and August than during the same period a year earlier. Use of rabies vaccines rose an estimated 33%, and use of rabies immune globulin rose 76%. The agency said there is currently no shortage. MedicalDaily covered the advisory’s warning about treatment errors.
Post-exposure treatment prevents rabies when it is given appropriately before symptoms start, but it is expensive. A typical course costs $11,000 to $14,000 per person, according to the CDC. That is why a risk assessment matters. The CDC says treatment generally is not recommended when the animal can be observed for 10 days, tests negative, or officials determine there was no rabies risk.
For bats, testing is often the deciding factor. If it can be done safely, the bat should be contained rather than released so animal control can test it. Local health departments can help families weigh the risk, and patients can ask their insurer how post-exposure treatment is covered.
Steps to Take After Finding a Bat at Home
Do not touch a bat with bare hands, and keep children and pets away. If someone was bitten or scratched, or a bat’s saliva may have reached the eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound, wash the area with soap and water for 15 minutes and contact a clinician or the local health department right away. Bat bites can be tiny, so waking up with a bat in the room or finding one near a sleeping child should be treated as a possible exposure, according to Los Angeles County officials.
Keep dogs and cats current on rabies vaccines, including indoor pets, since the county notes that at least one rabid bat is found indoors every year. Seal gaps where bats can get into attics and living spaces.
Rabies symptoms in people can take weeks to months to appear and may begin like the flu, with fever and headache, before progressing to neurological problems. Once symptoms start, the disease is almost always fatal, which is why officials urge prompt evaluation instead of waiting.
The risk to any one Californian remains low, and the numbers call for vigilance rather than panic. Los Angeles County updates its map as new bats test positive, and MedicalDaily will follow whether the county breaks its 2021 record this fall.
Key Questions Answered
How many animal rabies cases has California reported in 2026? Provisional state data count 252 rabid animals from Jan. 1 through Aug. 31, including 232 bats, 19 skunks, and one dog. These are animal cases, not human cases.
Why are more rabid bats being found? Officials do not know for certain. Ventura County’s animal services said the cause of its increase is unclear, and higher counts can also reflect more bats being found and tested.
How many rabid bats has Los Angeles County found? The county had confirmed 66 rabid bats as of its Sept. 21 update, two short of the record 68 set in 2021. About two-thirds were in the Santa Clarita Valley.
What counts as a rabies exposure from a bat? A bite, a scratch, or saliva reaching the eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound. Waking up with a bat in the room or finding one near a sleeping child is treated as a possible exposure.
What should I do if I find a bat at home? Do not touch it, keep people and pets away, and call animal control. If contact may have occurred, wash the area for 15 minutes and contact a clinician or the health department.
Is there a rabies vaccine shortage? No. The CDC said on Sept. 10 that there is currently no shortage of human rabies vaccine or human rabies immune globulin in the United States.
