Confirmed Rabies Exposure of Fresno County Resident in Merced County

The Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) and the Merced County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) have confirmed a rabies exposure involving a Fresno County resident that was suspected to have been bitten by a bat in Merced County. The FCDPH is working closely with the hospital and healthcare workers caring for the individual. MCDPH is working to notify individuals who may have been exposed, as well as preparing medical providers in the community on response measures.

Rabies is a very serious disease and is almost always fatal if not treated before symptoms appear. It is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, usually via bites or scratches. Wild animals, particularly bats and skunks, are a common source of rabies exposure.

If a bat - dead or alive - is found, the FCDPH urges residents to take the following precautions:

• Do not touch the bat if possible.
• Bites or scratches from bats often go undetected. Bat bites can be too small to feel or see. Direct contact with a bat, dead or alive, should be reported to your health care provider, whether or not an obvious injury is noted. Individuals who wake up to find a live or dead bat in the room should also notify their health care provider.

If you have had direct contact with a bat or suspect potential exposure:

• Wash any bite or scratch wounds with soap and water.
• Contact your healthcare provider immediately for evaluation and treatment.
• Report the incident to your local health department for further guidance.

Individuals can report the location of dead bat(s) to the Fresno County Environmental Health (EH) Division at (559) 600-3357. If in Merced County, contact Merced County Communicable Disease (CD) Division at (209) 381-1020 or by email at [email protected]. The EH Division and the CD Division will contact the animal control agency of jurisdiction and request to have them pick up the bat(s) and will arrange to have them tested for rabies.

It is also important to protect your pets by ensuring their rabies vaccinations are current. For more detailed precautions or to report an animal bite, please visit the FCDPH Rabies and Animal Control website.

For more information about rabies, visit the CDC Rabies webpage.