Bat with rabies found at Orange County park
Orange County health officials have reportedly recovered a bat that tested positive for rabies.
The rabid bat was found at around 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, near parking lot W at the park located on 1 Irvine Park Road, according to Orange County Health Authority officials.
They're urging anyone who may have touched the bat or who had a pet that did so to come forward for possible medical care, as rabies is primarily transmitted via a bite from a rabid animal. Saliva from the infected animal may also pass the virus.
As bats have very tiny teeth, their bites can sometimes go unnoticed. Rabies is most frequently transmitted by bats.
OCHA urges preventative treatment if anyone believes they came in contact with the bat, as the infection is almost always fatal when symptoms emerge, which could take anywhere from weeks to months to appear. The acute period of the disease can last between 2 and 10 days before becoming fatal.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, early symptoms, which can appear similar to the flu, include:
- weakness or discomfort,
- fever,
- headache,
- prickling or itching sensation at site of bite.
After some time, symptoms can evolve in severity and progress to:
- cerebral dysfunction,
- anxiety,
- confusion,
- agitation,
At its worst, rabies symptoms will include:
- delirium,
- abnormal behavior,
- hallucinations,
- hydrophobia,
- insomnia.
Symptoms in animals are often the same as those in humans who are infected with rabies.
Anyone who believes they may have made contact with the bat was asked to call (714) 834-8180 or (714) 834-7792.
