Pasadena Public Health Warns After Third Rabid Bat Found

Pasadena Public Health has confirmed a third rabid bat within the city, according to a report from NBC Los Angeles, and officials are again telling residents not to touch or handle bats found on the ground or indoors.

The case marks the third time this year that a bat tested positive for rabies in Pasadena, NBC Los Angeles reported, a repetition that health officials say is enough to warrant a renewed public notice rather than a one-off advisory.

What did Pasadena officials confirm?

According to NBC Los Angeles, Pasadena Public Health verified that a third bat found in the city carried the rabies virus. The outlet's report did not specify the exact location where the bat was found or the date of discovery, and no additional detail on human exposure was included in the available coverage.

How does this compare to the earlier two cases?

The sequence matters more than any single incident. One rabid bat can be treated as an isolated wildlife event. A second raises attention. A third, confirmed by the same department in the same city, is why Pasadena Public Health escalated to a formal warning rather than a routine notice, per the NBC Los Angeles report. The report did not provide the specific locations or dates of the first two bats, so no map of the three incidents is possible from the available source.

What should residents do if they find a bat?

Standard guidance from local health departments, consistent with the warning described in the NBC Los Angeles report, is straightforward: do not pick up a bat with bare hands, do not attempt to relocate it as a pet-care task, and do not assume a bat found on the ground during daylight is simply resting. Bats found grounded or acting disoriented are more likely to be sick. Anyone bitten or scratched, or whose pet had contact with a bat, is advised to contact animal control or a medical provider promptly rather than wait to see if symptoms appear.

How does rabies spread from bats to people?

Rabies is transmitted through saliva, typically via a bite or scratch, and bat bites can be small enough that a person may not immediately notice one. That is the practical reason health officials emphasize reporting any physical contact with a bat, even contact that does not leave an obvious mark, rather than relying on a visible wound to decide whether to seek care.

Where can residents get more information?

The NBC Los Angeles report is the only account of this third confirmed case currently available, and it does not list a dedicated phone line or additional department contact beyond attributing the warning to Pasadena Public Health. Residents with bat encounters in the city are generally directed to local animal control or county health services, consistent with how the two agencies are described handling the earlier bat cases this year.

The city has not indicated, per the available report, whether additional bats are being tested or whether the three confirmed cases are linked to a single colony.

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