Experts Warn Against Rabies Amid Drastic Increase in Bat Population in Ventura County
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) — Community members are being urged to beware of bats and take extra precautions with their pets.
“Dogs will go after anything and something else can bite them and they don't know. But then you don't know that there's anything wrong. until The dog starts acting really off,” said Branden Mataja, who is looking to adopt a dog.
Bats with rabies can easily spread it to pets like dogs and cats, and even humans.
Experts warn that you can’t always feel a bat bite, because it can be small and painless, but even a dead bat can transmit the disease to your pet, who in turn can transmit it to humans.
“If bats are positive for rabies. Sometimes the rabies virus itself makes them maybe come out during the day when they shouldn't be because they're nocturnal. And if they're positive and they bite your dog or cat, right, they now become a carrier. And could possibly transmit it to you as a human,” said Ventura County Animal Services Spokesman Randy Friedman.
Ventura County Animal Services says out of the 101 bats that were brought in to their facility this year, 21 tested positive for rabies.
This is a drastic increase from the count of 6 bats in 2024 and 4 in 2023.
Experts can’t be certain what’s contributing to this rise, but they have a few theories.
“It could be us developing in new areas of the county, maybe pushing into more rural areas and disrupting habitats. It could be drought conditions. We're not quite sure yet,” said Friedman.
Though the cause isn’t clear, Ventura County Animal Services says it’s completely preventable, and they’re urging the public to take vaccinations seriously.
“We just want to make sure that every animal that leaves a shelter, every every pet that's in the community is vaccinated against rabies,” said Friedman.
Dogs need a rabies booster shot every 1- 3 years after their initial puppy series depending on the type of vaccine used and local regulations.
Ventura County Animal Services offers low cost rabies clinics 6 times a year.
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