Rabies - Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

PROTECT YOURSELF
FROM RABIES
Report any animal/human contact to bats, animal bites to humans, or wildlife bites to pets.

Reporting forms

What is rabies?

It is a virus that causes disease in both people and animals. Any mammal can get rabies - the list is long and includes:
- Bats, dogs, cats, raccoons, skunks, opossums, coyotes, foxes, cattle, horses, and many more
- In Los Angeles County, the only known animals to routinely carry rabies are BATS
- In other parts of California, the USA and the world, other animal species can be a reservoir for rabies
- Learn more about past rabies cases in animals in LA County
- Learn more about past rabies cases in humans in LA County
Rabies is usually deadly if medical attention is not taken rapidly (post-exposure prophylaxis)

How is rabies transmitted to people/animals?

Rabies is almost always transmitted through a bite of an animal with the disease (rabid)
Click here to learn from CDC about rabies, including how it is transmitted.

What are symptoms of rabies?

Rabies affects the nervous system of infected animals and people
The disease is progressive and, once symptoms start, can rapidly cause death from respiratory failure
In people: initially fever, weakness, headache; progressing to tingling sensation, anxiety, agitation, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, difficulty swallowing, coma, death
In animals: initially non-specific signs (vomiting, respiratory distress) progressing into neurologic signs - circling, difficulties walking, behavior change, aggression, paralysis, hydrophobia (fear of water), death

What is the treatment for rabies?

Once symptoms occur, there is no cure
After a bite from a suspected rabid animals, contact your physician immediately to receive Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)
- PEP is a series of rabies vaccinations along with an injection of antibodies - it is NOT given in the belly
- If given as soon as possible after exposure to rabies, PEP can effectively prevent rabies from entering the nervous system
Pets that have been exposed to rabies (for example from a bite by a potentially rabid animal) must be quarantined whether they are vaccinated against rabies or not

What should I do to protect myself from rabies?

Never touch a bat with bare hands - call Animal Control if you find a bat in your house or on the ground
- Follow this step-by-step walkthrough on how to manage a bat in your house
Seek medical care immediately if you are bitten by an animal - animal bites to people are reportable to our office

Keep your pets up to date on their rabies vaccines

This includes older pets and indoor only cats (rabid bats have been found inside homes)
If bitten by wildlife, unvaccinated pets must be quarantined for 6 months - vaccinated pets must be quarantined for 30 days only

What to do if you find a bat
For quick tips and additional rabies educational information that can be shared with family and friends, click here.

Rabies data in Los Angeles County

Rabies in bats has increased in the past few years in Los Angeles County. The reason behind this increase remains unknown. About 15-20% of bats tested locally have rabies but less than 1% of healthy bats are thought to carry rabies.

Rabies Map - 2025
(click map for larger image)

Link to 2025 rabid bat map for LA County

Graph - Los Angeles County rabid bats by year 1961-2023

Rabies maps by year:

	2007	2017
	2008	2018
	2009	2019
	2010	2020
	2011	2021
	2012	2022
	2013	2023
	2014	2024
	2015	2000-2011
	2016	2013-2022

2025 graph - number of rabid bats per month in Los Angeles County

Data based on passive reporting. Reports of sick bats in public or private areas, or bat incidents involving people or animals, are made to local Animal Control agencies. Bats are then collected and tested for rabies.

Los Angeles County began testing bats for rabies in 1961. The data above includes rabid bats from Pasadena and Long Beach.

More Information

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Rabies page

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Rabies page

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health - Acute Communicable Disease Control Rabies page

History of rabies in Los Angeles County

Laws related to rabies