County health officials are looking for people who may have come into contact with a rabid bat found in a parking lot in Oceanside, it was announced Tuesday.
The animal was found on the ground outside a Petco store at 2130 Vista Way last Wednesday around 9 a.m. It was collected by animal services and later tested positive for rabies.
"Human rabies is usually fatal without prompt post-exposure vaccine and treatment," said Dr. Seema Shah, county interim deputy public health officer. "Rabies transmission can happen from a bat bite or if a bat's saliva comes in contact with a cut or abrasion, or with mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth."
If you or someone you know came into contact with the bat that morning, you are being asked to contact County Public Health Services as soon as possible at 619-692-8499.
A total of 10 rabid bats have been detected this year throughout the county. If you come in direct contact with a bat, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and get medical advice immediately, a county statement reads.
Rabies is a viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. Symptoms in people can take weeks to months to develop.
"Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal," a county statement read. "However, prompt post-exposure treatment following exposure to the virus will prevent the disease."
