Berkeley, California, has issued an urgent warning to residents following a notable surge in rabies cases among bats. This year, five bats have tested positive for the virus in the college town, a substantial increase compared to the two or fewer cases reported annually over the past six years.
While no human rabies cases have been identified in Berkeley this year, a cat in the nearby city of Pleasanton tested positive for the disease in June 2026. Rabies is nearly always fatal if left untreated but is curable in humans if detected and addressed before symptoms appear. Nationally, fewer than 10 human rabies deaths are reported annually in the U.S. Last year, a California teacher died from rabies after being bitten by a bat found in her classroom.
City officials are advising residents to avoid touching or handling bats and to bat-proof their homes by sealing potential entry points. Residents who find a bat, whether alive or dead, indoors or outdoors, are instructed not to touch it and to contact Alameda County Vector Control Services at (510) 567-6800. If an individual is bitten or scratched by a bat, the affected area should be washed thoroughly with soap and water for 15 minutes.
Separately, Yosemite National Park officials reported that a bat found within the park in May had tested positive for rabies. Park officials stated that testing deceased bats is part of routine operations to monitor naturally circulating wildlife diseases and that a small percentage of bats tested in the park are typically positive for rabies each year.