Don’t touch dead bats. Amid triple-digit heat, a Fresno health warning for bats, rabies

Here’s your annual warning to watch out for dead bats.

Amid reminding parents to get their kids vaccinated and dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, Fresno County Department of Public Health on Tuesday issued the warning to residents that they may being finding dead bats in public spaces and around their homes as the hot weather affects local colonies.

The heat affects the colonies’ weaker members, who can fall to the ground to be found.

Fresno County is a rabies endemic area, according to the California Department of Public Health, and bats are the most common mammal to carry the disease here.

Over the past two years, six bats tested positive for rabies in Fresno County, including one recently found in the central area of the city, according to a news release from the county health department sent Tuesday morning. In 2016, a dead bat found on Van Ness Avenue in downtown Fresno tested positive for the virus.

If you find a dead bat, do not touch it or pickit up and do not allow pets to come into contact with the animal. Those in the city of Fresno should report the animal to the Central California SPCA at 559-233-7722. Those in unincorporated areas can contact Fresno Humane Animal Services at 559-600-PETS.

If you haven’t seen Stephen King’s “Cujo,” rabies can be transmitted to other animals (and humans) through scratches and bites. The virus infects the central nervous system and is almost always fatal if untreated before symptoms appear.

Dog owners are required by state law to vaccinate their animals against rabies and it is highly recommended for cats. Just last year, someone in Fresno County was bitten by a rabid domestic cat. It was the first such case in the region since 1943.

This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 11:31 AM.