A dead bat found near a restaurant at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has become the 43rd bat to test positive for rabies in the county this year, twice the record set in 2025. County public-health officials announced the result Friday as federal authorities separately warned of rising human exposures and errors in preventive treatment.
Safari Park employees found the bat at 11:30 a.m. Sunday outside the Mombasa Restaurant. It was not part of the park's animal collection, and the county said no human contact had been reported. The Public Health Laboratory later confirmed rabies. Anyone who directly touched or handled the bat is asked to call the county Epidemiology Unit at 619-692-8499.
The local count does not by itself show that rabies prevalence among bats has doubled. County Public Health Officer Sayone Thihalolipavan said more reports have led to more animals being submitted for testing and more positive results. Testing data therefore reflect both infection and the likelihood that a dead or behaving-unusually animal is found, reported and delivered to a laboratory.
The CDC's Sept. 10 health advisory adds a national frame. From July through August, the agency received 17% more rabies-related inquiries than during the same period in 2025. At least eight state health departments reported increased use of post-exposure prophylaxis, administration errors or both. The CDC said there was no national shortage of rabies vaccine or human rabies immune globulin.
The scale of evaluation is much larger than the number of infections. CDC estimates about 1.4 million people seek care after animal contact each year and roughly 100,000 receive post-exposure prophylaxis. Pharmacy data through Sept. 2 showed use of the two licensed rabies vaccines up an estimated 33% from the same period last year and immune-globulin use up 76%. A typical treatment course can cost $11,000 to $14,000, another reason accurate risk assessment matters.
Rabies is a viral disease of the central nervous system. Infection is nearly always fatal after symptoms begin, but prompt post-exposure care is highly effective. The treatment decision depends on the animal, the type of contact, local rabies patterns and whether the animal can be tested or observed. Public-health consultation helps prevent both missed treatment and unnecessary doses.
For people who have never received rabies vaccine, CDC guidance generally calls for wound care, human rabies immune globulin and vaccine doses on days 0, 3, 7 and 14. Previously vaccinated people receive a different regimen. The federal alert emphasized correct placement of immune globulin around identifiable wounds and warned against giving vaccine in the gluteal area.
The public advice begins before any medical protocol: keep distance from wildlife, including animals that appear injured, sick or dead. After a bite, scratch or direct contact, wash the area with soap and water and seek medical advice promptly. Pet vaccinations and separation from wildlife add another barrier between a rabid animal and human exposure.
Bats remain ecologically important insect predators and, for some species, pollinators. The warning is about contact, not removal. San Diego County's rabies dashboard tracks animals reported to the Epidemiology Unit and tested by the local laboratory, with monthly updates and filters for 2021 through 2026. This year's record makes reporting more visible; careful exposure assessment determines what each encounter means.