San Mateo County health officials confirmed Thursday that a bat found near the Little People’s Park playground at the Portola Valley Town Center has tested positive for rabies.
The bat was discovered on Oct. 24, according to County Health, which is urging anyone who may have touched the animal to immediately contact their medical provider to determine if they need treatment.
“Because there is no treatment for rabies once symptoms appear, we want to hear from anyone who might have had physical contact with the bat,” the agency said in a statement. Officials emphasized that people who did not touch the animal are not at risk, and “currently, there are no identified exposed persons or animals.”
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Rabies is a fatal but preventable disease spread through the saliva of infected animals, usually via bites.
This was the second rabid bat confirmed in San Mateo County this month, with the other found in Half Moon Bay.
“Encounters with rabid animals in San Mateo County are very rare, but we take every case seriously,” said Dr. Kismet Baldwin-Santana, the county’s health officer. “Never touch a bat or other wild animal, even if it looks sick or injured, and keep your pets’ rabies vaccinations up to date.”
Over the past 11 years, an average of two bats per year have tested positive for rabies in the county, officials said.
Portola Valley, a small wooded town known for its open space and wildlife — including deer, coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions — sits in the foothills of San Mateo County.
