California authorities say a bat tested positive for rabies at Mineral Bar Campground at Auburn State Recreation Area earlier this month.
Placer County health official say a visitor found a bat and allowed other visitors, including children, to touch the animal. The visitor took the bat to animal control the following day, and test results showed the bat was positive for rabies. Immediate medical treatment is recommended for anyone who had physical contact with the bat between Aug. 1 and Aug. 3.
“We’ve been in contact with several park visitors who handled the infected bat and they are already seeking treatment,” said Mike Howard, Auburn State Recreation Area Sector Superintendent for State Parks. “We are urging any park visitor who might have had physical contact with the bat at Mineral Bar Campground during those few days to seek medical attention as soon as possible.”
State Parks has been working closely with the Placer County Public Health Department and CDPH to ensure that anyone who was in the area is notified about the danger of rabies exposure and infection. Additionally, California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists surveyed the Mineral Bar Campground area and found no other sick animals.
The campground remains open to the public.
Rabies is a viral disease that affects both animals and people. Animals with rabies shed virus in their saliva and can transmit the infection to another animal or person, typically through a bite. After a few weeks to months, infected animals develop neurologic signs including paralysis, abnormal behavior, and increased aggression.
(Placer County contributed to this report.)
