Los Angeles County has confirmed 66 rabid bats so far this year, two short of its all-time high of 68 set in 2021, according to the county Department of Public Health's 2026 rabies map, last updated Sept. 21. Statewide, California counted 252 rabid animals from Jan. 1 through Aug. 31, including 232 bats, 19 skunks, and one dog, according to provisional figures from the California Department of Public Health's animal rabies table that were reported by KCLU.
These are animal cases, not human ones. The risk that matters for households is exposure. In Los Angeles County, most rabid bats this year turned up where families live, including backyards, driveways, pools, and patios, and in several cases inside homes, often with a dog or cat nearby. A single unnoticed contact can lead to a costly series of shots for a person and strict follow-up measures for an unvaccinated pet.
