Rabid Bat May Have Infected Children: Health Officials

County health officials are searching for the five children who found the bat on Saturday in San Marcos

San Diego County health officials are trying to find children or adults who may have handled a rabid bat outside a San Marcos restaurant over the weekend.

Five children discovered the bat Saturday morning in the outdoor courtyard near Pizza Nova, located at 141 North Twin Oaks Valley Road, according to the county’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA).

When the animal was taken to the County Public Health Laboratory, it tested positive for rabies Monday.

Now, officials are looking for the children, their parents or those who may have come in contact with the rabid bat to make sure they were not exposed to the deadly disease. If you know who those people are, you are asked to call the HHSA at 619-692-8499.

But Charlie Muirhead, owner of the Pizza Nova, said there may no need to worry.

"There's a lot of wildlife out here so it doesn't surprise me that they found a bat," said Muirhead. "But the kids -- what I understand -- the kids found the bat and they got their parents involved. The parents said, 'Did anyone touch the bat?' They said, 'No one touched the bat.'"

Another rabid bat caused a health scare last week for a man who participated in the Del Mar 5K Mud Run. As he was enjoyed a drink with his co-workers post-race, the flying animal landed on him.

He is now undergoing a series of rabies shots and vaccinations as a precaution.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease mostly transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal, the HHSA says. However, it can also be spread if the animal’s saliva comes in contact with a person’s eyes, nose, mouth or open wound.

The disease attacks the nervous system, and early symptoms — which include fever, headache, discomfort and general weakness — can take weeks to months to develop after an exposure.

Later signs are insomnia, anxiety, confusion, partial paralysis, hallucinations, increased salivation and fear of water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Once symptoms do develop, health officials warn rabies is almost always fatal.

But if the exposed patient catches it early, the virus is treatable through vaccines.

The HHSA recommends you should never handle live or dead bats or other unfamiliar animals. If you have come in contact with a bat, or if you were bitten or scratched by suspected rabid animal, wash your wound carefully with soap and warm water and immediately call your doctor.

You can also call the county’s Epidemiology Program at 619-692-8499 during business hours or 858-565-5255 after hours.

The CDC says the vast majority of rabies cases come from infected raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes.

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