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Rabid bat lands on California restaurant table as family eats, prompting exposure warning
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- A bat landed on a family's table at the Yellow Deli Restaurant in Vista, California, and later tested positive for rabies, prompting public health concerns.
- San Diego County officials are seeking anyone who may have touched or had close contact with the bat to provide medical guidance, emphasizing the urgency due to rabies' nearly 100% fatality rate once symptoms appear.
- This incident marks the 22nd rabies-positive bat found in San Diego County this year, although officials note that increased human-bat encounters do not necessarily indicate a rise in infected bats overall.
- Health experts warn against handling bats, advising residents to keep a safe distance and contact professionals if a bat is encountered, as rabies exposure can occur through bites or saliva contact with mucous membranes.
- Authorities continue efforts to contact the family involved to assess the need for post-exposure prophylaxis and stress the importance of testing bats safely recovered to guide treatment decisions.
