Rabid bat found in Berkeley

Officials are warning residents in central Berkeley about a rabid bat that turned up in the neighborhood in the past week.

City Councilman Igor Tregub sent out a warning about the bat Tuesday afternoon.

He said the sick animal had been found in District 4, which covers downtown and central Berkeley.

"There’s no sure way to know if an animal has rabies by looking at it, as some animals may not appear ill," Tregub wrote, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to Tregub's advisory, Berkeley had just 12 rabid animal cases, "almost entirely bats," from 1996-2018.

"The risk of rabies remains constant throughout the year, with no month more likely than the rest," Tregub wrote. "The city recommends Berkeley residents take necessary precautions, which include vaccinating all pet dogs and cats, and stay vigilant for other rabid bats and peculiar behavior in pets."

In May 2023, a Scanner reader told TBS he had seen a "city notice on a telephone pole at Bancroft and Roosevelt saying that a rabid bat had been caught in the area."

More recently, in late September, a deceased bat with rabies was found outside a home near Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Dwight Way in central Berkeley, Berkeleyside reported last month.

And, in the past week, a Reddit user described finding a bat at University and Shattuck avenues.

"I was walking past the Citi Bank on Shattuck & U, and saw this little gremlin-looking creature crawling where I was about to step. I caught myself, luckily, and realized it was a little bat," they wrote. "After a minute of disbelief, I looked up the number for Berkeley Animal Care Services (510-981-6600). They advised me to get some kind of box to cover it with, and after that I waited for a short while while an agent came, put it into a little mason jar with air holes, and left."

"If this happens to you, as obvious as it may seem, do not physically touch the bat," they continued. "If you have a box, put it atop the bat. The agent told me that they've had some positive rabies cases among local bats, and the fangs are so small and sharp that you may not even register having been bit."

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Shortly after publication, the city confirmed that this was the same bat Tregub had learned about from the city's Housing, Health, and Community Services division.

Also worth noting, bats aren't the only animal that can fall prey to rabies.

"Skunks, raccoons, foxes, dogs and cats also can be infected," according to Alameda County's Public Health Department. "A few cases of rabies have been reported in wolves, coyotes, bobcats, ferrets, cattle, horses, goats and sheep. Small rodents such as hamsters, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and rabbits are very rarely infected with rabies."

From 2019-2023, 18 bats tested positive for rabies in Alameda County.

This year, about 150 rabid bats have been found throughout California, according to the state Department of Public Health.

None of those on the current roster, which was posted sometime after Nov. 22, were located in Berkeley or Alameda County.

The Scanner has asked for more detail about the bat's status and where it was found and will update this story if it becomes available.

Read more about rabies from Alameda County's Public Health Department.

Correction: This story was updated to reflect that the bat was found last week rather than this week. The bat tested positive for rabies Monday.