Tuesday, October 6, 2026

County Investigates First Suspected Rabid Raccoon Since 1973

Los Angeles County health officials investigating the county’s first suspected rabid raccoon case since 1973 are urging residents countywide to avoid wildlife, a warning Pasadena officials issued twice this year after rabid bats were found in the city.

The raccoon was found in a backyard in the Westlake Village area. It reportedly appeared sick but was not aggressive toward people, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a news release Monday, Oct. 5.

Rabies exposures in the county have historically been associated with bats, the department said. It said the raccoon was likely infected by one.

All strains of the virus can infect any mammal, it said. The county has confirmed 70 rabid bats so far this year, a total the department called record-breaking.

One dog that was up to date on its rabies vaccine may have been exposed to the raccoon. The dog is under quarantine and doing well, the department said.

Four people at a worksite may also have been exposed. They are receiving recommended follow-up for post-exposure treatment, a series of vaccines.

The rabies variant that infected the raccoon has not been determined. Variant testing can take several weeks, the department said. Variant typing is important for understanding the likely source of the infection, it said.

The county’s last known confirmed rabid raccoon was detected in 1973. A skunk strain of rabies was still present in the county then. That strain has not been detected there since 1979. The last animal other than a bat confirmed to have rabies in the county was a skunk in Long Beach in 2014. It carried a bat variant.

“The detection of rabies in a raccoon is an important reminder to never touch, handle, or feed any wild animals, even when they appear healthy,” said Dr. Muntu Davis, the Los Angeles County health officer. “It is also critical to ensure your pets are up to date on rabies vaccination so they are protected before any potential exposure.”

The Pasadena Public Health Department has reported two rabid bats in the city this year. The second was found near the baseball field at Brenner Park on Aug. 27. The first was found near South Grand Avenue and Del Rosa Drive, the department said. No human rabies cases had been reported, the department said then, and the overall risk to the public remained low. County rabid-bat totals include bats found in Pasadena.

“To reduce risk, all contact with bats and other wild animals should be strictly avoided,” Dr. Parveen Kaur, Pasadena’s health officer, said in the city’s Aug. 31 news release.

County health officials advise anyone bitten by a wild mammal to seek medical advice immediately and report the bite. A pet bitten by a wild mammal needs veterinary care, a rabies vaccine and a temporary home quarantine, the department said. Rabies is fatal in animals once symptoms begin. It is preventable through vaccination, including for indoor-only cats and older pets, the department said.

In Pasadena, animal bites are reported to Pasadena Humane at 626-792-7151, the county health department says.

Pasadena officials ask residents who find a dead or dying bat not to touch it and to call the same number. Residents who see sick wildlife should not approach it. They should call their local animal control agency, the county said.