Overview
- The bat landed on a family’s table at the Yellow Deli in Vista on Sunday, July 19, was wrapped in a towel by a diner, taken to the Oceanside Humane Society, and later tested positive for rabies at the San Diego County Public Health Laboratory.
- County officials say no direct skin contact has been confirmed and are actively trying to reach the family and any others who may have handled the animal.
- Health authorities warn that only direct exposures such as bites or saliva to the eyes, nose, mouth, or open wounds pose a rabies risk and that prompt post-exposure prophylaxis is highly effective if given before symptoms appear.
- This case is the 22nd rabid bat detected in San Diego County so far in 2026, topping the county’s total for all of 2025 and coinciding with more frequent human-bat interactions reported this year.
- Officials urged residents not to touch bats, to call animal control or public health if an exposed animal is available for testing, and to remember that bats are protected and important to the local ecosystem.