Orange County Health Care Agency officials are warning residents to avoid contact with wild animals after a rabid bat was found in the parking lot of the Fountain Valley Tennis & Pickleball Center.

The bat was found near Pickleball Court #1 at the center, at 16400 Brookhurst St., about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14 and tested positive for rabies, officials said in a news release on Friday.

“Rabid bats are identified routinely each year in Orange County and around the country,” they said. “Contact with bats should be avoided and any potential bite should be discussed with a medical provider.”

The agency urged anyone who may have had physical contact with the bat at the tennis center to call the Communicable Disease Control Division at 714-834-8180. Pet owners should call their veterinarian if their pets had contact with a bat in the area.

The virus spreads to people through bites from infected animals, which can sometimes go unnoticed from bats because of their small teeth, officials said. The virus also sometimes spreads through scratches.

Rabies in humans is rare, officials said, but once a human starts showing signs and symptoms, the disease is almost always fatal. Those exposed to rabies should seek medical help immediately so wounds can be cleaned and preventative treatment can be started.

OCHCA recommends avoiding all contact with wild animals, vaccinating all pets and sleeping in rooms with screened windows and doors to avoid possible exposure to rabies.

The agency reported a rabid bat found at Laguna Niguel Regional Park in September 2021, and also reported rabid bats in Anaheim and Orange in 2020.

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