Rabid bat found in Old Town Pasadena

Pasadena health officials received a report of a dead bat infected with rabies in the city and on Thursday warned the public not to touch bats with bare hands.

The deceased rabid bat was found near the intersection of East Green Street and South Hudson Avenue in the city’s Old Town neighborhood, according to the Pasadena Public Health Department. There were no reports of human rabies cases, and the risk of a person developing a rabies infection remains low.

Health officials reminded area residents to never touch a bat with bare hands and to report injured, sick or dead bats. Rabid bats are most often found in Los Angeles County during the summer and early fall, especially in July, August and September.

“In Pasadena, this is the first bat to test positive for rabies in 2024,” Manuel Carmona, the city’s acting director of public health, said in a statement. “While the last rabid bat in Pasadena was found in 2019, there is the potential for additional rabid bats in the region. Community members are encouraged to avoid contact with and immediately report injured or dead bats.”

In LA County, bats are the only animals known to regularly carry rabies, officials said.

“Any contact by humans or pets with a rabid bat is a very serious health concern. Rabies is often a fatal disease and requires timely preventive medical treatment,” Acting Health Officer Dr. Parveen Kaur said in a statement. “Any contact with bats or other wild animals should be avoided. A scratch from a tooth or bite from a rabid animal could cause rabies infection in people or other animals. In the event of skin contact with a bat, wash the area immediately with soap and water and seek medical care.”

Members of the public who see a dead or dying bat on the ground should not handle it and instead should contact a local animal control agency to retrieve the bat and take it for rabies testing.

Pasadena Humane is reachable at 626-792-7151.

“Animal bites should be discussed with your medical provider as soon as possible,” according to the city statement. “If pets are affected, contact an emergency veterinarian.”

More information on rabies is at CDC.gov/rabies.