Bat Found At Corona del Mar High School in
Newport Beach
Tests Positive for Rabies
(Santa Ana) – Anyone who may have come into contact with a bat found
Friday, April 6th near the gymnasium at Corona del Mar High School, 2101
Eastbluff Drive, Newport Beach, is asked to call the Orange County Health
Care Agency, following tests that showed the bat was infected with rabies.
“The bat was found on April 6th before 9:15 a.m.
near the gymnasium entry door on the west side,” said Dr. Hildy Meyers,
Public Health Epidemiology Medical Director. The bat was picked up from the
school by Animal Care Officers and the rabies testing was conducted by the
Public Health Laboratory.
“Although school personnel do not believe anyone touched the
bat, we want to exercise the utmost in caution by asking anyone who may have
come into contact with a bat outside the gymnasium at Corona del Mar High
School on April 6th to call Public Health Epidemiology at (714) 834-8525
and leave their contact information. Messages on this line will be
checked throughout the weekend and all calls will be returned by Public
Health staff,” Dr. Meyers said. Parents of students at Corona del Mar
High School should ask their children about seeing or touching a bat in the
area of the gymnasium.
Human rabies cases are very rare but can result if a person is
bitten by a rabid animal. Medical assistance should be obtained as soon as
possible after an exposure so any wound can be cleaned and preventive
treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis can be started. This treatment is
safe and effective. Most bats do not have rabies, but to minimize the risk,
it is best never to handle any bat or wild animal.
Other recommendations to prevent rabies include:
-
Immediately wash all
animal bites with soap and water, being sure to flush the wound well,
then contact your doctor
-
Avoid all contact with
wild animals
-
Do not sleep with open
unscreened windows or doors
-
If bats are seen inside
a house or other structure, close off the area and contact animal
control. Once the bat(s) have been removed, close off any areas allowing
entrance into the house.
-
Do not leave pet food
outside where it will attract wild animals
-
Vaccinate all cats and
dogs against rabies
-
Report all animal
exposures to your Animal Control program
-
Report stray animals to
your Animal Control program
-
Obey leash laws
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