(Santa Ana, CA) – A bat in the City of Rancho Santa Margarita has tested positive for rabies. The bat was found near the gate entrance along the Mesa Trail at O'Neill Regional Park, off El Camino Montana Road between El Lazo and Juniper Lane on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026, at approximately 10:00 am.
 
Anyone who may have had physical contact with this bat or saw someone else having contact with the bat is asked to call the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) Communicable Disease Control Division at (714) 834-8180 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or (714) 834-7792 after hours to determine the risk for rabies. Owners of pets who may have had contact with this bat should contact their veterinarian.

The rabies virus is found in an animal’s saliva and is transmitted to people by a bite from a rabid animal. Although very rare, contamination of the eyes, mouth or an open wound by the saliva of a rabid animal can also transmit rabies. Most cases of human rabies in the United States in recent years have resulted from bat strains of rabies; bats have very small teeth, and their bites may go unnoticed.

Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal. For that reason, preventive treatment to stop the rabies virus from causing illness is given to anyone who may have been exposed to rabies. Medical assistance should be obtained promptly after an exposure so any wound can be cleaned and preventive treatment can be started. This treatment is safe and effective.

HCA and OC Animal Care recommend the following actions to minimize the risk of rabies:

• Avoid all contact with wild animals.
• Vaccinate all cats and dogs against rabies.
• Do not sleep with open unscreened windows or doors.
• If bats are seen inside the 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.
• Immediately wash all animal bites with soap and water, being sure to flush the wound well, then contact your doctor.
• Report all animal bites to OC Animal Care.

Potential exposure to a bat or other wild animal should be reported to HCA Communicable Disease Control Division at (714) 834-8180.

To report a bat in your home, or an animal bite, contact OC Animal Care at (714) 935-6848. Find out more at OC Animal Care Wildlife Information.

You can download a flyer that contains information on what to do if you come in contact with a bat and who to contact by clicking here.

More information about rabies is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/rabies.

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Source

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to share information and notify clinicians, public health authorities, and the public about recent New World screwworm (NWS) animal cases in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which shares a border with the U.S. state of Texas. No NWS infestations related to this outbreak have been identified in people or animals in the United States as of January 20, 2026. However, given the potential for geographic spread, CDC is issuing this Health Advisory to increase awareness of the outbreak and to summarize CDC recommendations for clinicians and health departments in the United States on case identification and reporting, specimen collection, diagnosis, and treatment of NWS, as well as guidance for the public.

Full Advisory: New World Screwworm: Outbreak Moves into Northern Mexico | HAN | CDC

Key Messages

• Kratom has a complex pharmacological profile with the potential for sedative, stimulant, and opioid effects. 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly known as 7-OH, is a potent opioid that usually makes up a very small percentage of the kratom leaf, but can be concentrated and added to products to increase their activity.
• Because they affect the body's opioid receptors, both whole-leaf kratom products and 7-OH have a high potential for addiction, particularly among people with substance use disorders.
• Concentrated 7-OH products, in particular, have been implicated in multiple fatal overdoses. Overdose risk is substantially elevated when 7-OH is taken alongside other intoxicants, particularly alcohol, benzodiazepines, and/or unregulated street drugs.
• Other side effects of these products may include constipation, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness/sedation, dry mouth, weight loss, anxiety, hallucination, itching, fatigue, insomnia, tremors, vomiting, liver damage, high blood pressure, and seizures.
• Although kratom and 7-OH products are widely available and advertised, they are illegal to sell and manufacture for consumption.​​

Background

Kratom is the common name for the leaf of a tropical tree, Mitragyna speciosa. Kratom has a complex pharmacological profile with the potential for sedative, stimulant, and opioid effects due principally to the presence of mitragynine, which is metabolized to 7-hydroxymitragynine, (commonly known as 7-OH), a potent opioid. 7-OH and other kratom derivatives may lead to addiction, serious harm, overdose, and/or death. The use of 7-OH was linked to six recent fatal overdoses in Los Angeles County. More info...

Key messages: 

• The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is issuing an update to its December 5 health advisory as an outbreak of amatoxin poisoning continues across California.
• This outbreak is linked to the consumption of wild foraged mushrooms and has caused severe liver damage in children and adults.
• As of January 6, 35 cases, including three adult fatalities and three liver transplants, have been linked to the ongoing outbreak.
• Recent rain contributed to widespread growth of Death Cap mushrooms in California. CDPH is again urging Californians not to pick or eat wild mushrooms as the risk of potentially deadly amatoxin poisoning is high.
• Since Death Cap mushrooms are easily confused for safe-to-eat, lookalike mushrooms, all mushroom foraging should be avoided. 

More info...