Overview
- A bat landed on a family’s table at the Yellow Deli in Vista on Sunday and a patron picked it up with a towel and took it to the Humane Society in Oceanside.
- The San Diego County Public Health Laboratory confirmed the bat carried rabies on Thursday and officials are actively trying to reach the family to assess possible exposure.
- Authorities say no one is believed to have had direct skin contact but anyone who touched the bat should call a health care provider right away because post-exposure prophylaxis prevents rabies if given before symptoms.
- The case is the 22nd rabid bat detected in San Diego County so far in 2026, up from 21 for all of 2025, which has led to more testing and renewed public notifications about risky encounters with bats.
- Officials stressed that bats are protected and play key roles in insect control and pollination and advised people never to touch bats but instead contact animal control or a humane society for safe handling.