Los Angeles County has confirmed 69 rabid bats so far in 2026, tying last year's record with peak season still underway, the county Department of Public Health said on Sept. 28, World Rabies Day. Officials said 24 rabid bats were confirmed in August alone, and nearly one in three bats that residents submitted for testing that month were positive.
For families, the most important new detail is where these encounters happen. The county says one-third of bat encounters occur indoors, where exposure risk is higher, and a bite from a bat can be small enough to go unnoticed by a sleeping child.
