Rabid Bat Found in West Pasadena

A bat infected with rabies has turned up in a Pasadena neighborhood for the third year in a row — a pattern that didn’t exist before 2024.

The Pasadena Public Health Department announced Wednesday that the bat was found near the intersection of S. Grand Ave. and Del Rosa Dr. It is the first to test positive for rabies in the city this year. No human cases have been reported, and officials said the overall risk to the public remains low.

But the repeat findings mark a shift. Pasadena had not identified a single rabid bat from 2019 through 2023. Then one appeared near Old Town in August 2024, another in the west side of the city in September 2025, and now a third in 2026. The detections track a broader regional surge: Los Angeles County confirmed an all-time record of 69 rabid bats in 2025, surpassing the previous high of 68 set in 2021. Twelve more have already been identified countywide this year.

“This is the first bat to test positive for rabies in Pasadena this year,” said Manuel Carmona, director of public health. “Community members should avoid contact with and immediately report injured, ill, or dead bats.”

Bats are the only animals in Los Angeles County known to routinely carry rabies. About 14 percent of bats that come into contact with people or pets countywide test positive for the virus, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The disease is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but it is preventable with timely medical treatment after exposure.

Dr. Parveen Kaur, an infectious disease specialist with more than 25 years of medical experience who was appointed Pasadena’s health officer in February, stressed that any contact with a rabid bat poses danger. “Any contact by humans or pets with a rabid bat is a very serious health concern,” Kaur said. “Rabies is a life-threatening disease that requires timely preventive medical treatment. To reduce risk, all contact with bats and other wild animals should be strictly avoided.”

Kaur said the virus can spread through a bite or even a scratch from an infected animal’s tooth, posing a risk to both humans and animals. Anyone who has skin contact with a bat should wash the area immediately with soap and water and see a doctor, she said.

Residents who find a dead or dying bat should not touch it. Pasadena Humane handles bat collection in the city and can be reached at (626) 792-7151. Pet owners whose animals may have been exposed should contact an emergency veterinarian. More information about rabies is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov/rabies.

Pasadena is one of only three cities in California that operates its own independent public health department. Carmona, an Altadena resident who was appointed director in January 2025, oversees a department of 115 employees.

The logs of the county’s rabies map tell the larger story. In 2024, one in three bats reported by residents during August tested positive. The county’s veterinary public health division has conducted targeted outreach in communities where rabid bats have been found since 2018 — a reminder that the animals turn up in parks, backyards, schools, and office buildings across the region.

Spring is early for rabid bat detections, which typically peak in late summer. This one arrived ahead of schedule.