Health officials issue warning after bat with rabies lands on family’s table at a restaurant

Health officials in San Diego have issued a warning after a bat with rabies landed on a family’s table at a local restaurant. A family was eating at the rustic Yellow Deli chain in Vista at lunchtime on Sunday when a bat landed on their table, according to a press release from San Diego County issued Thursday. Another diner sprang into action, using a towel to grab the bat and bring it to the Humane Society in Oceanside.

The bat later tested positive for rabies at the county’s public health lab. While preventive care after rabies exposure is highly effective if received before symptoms kick in, the viral disease is almost always fatal once symptoms start. Symptoms can take weeks to months to appear.

Local health officials are now asking anyone who may have touched the bat or knows of someone who may have to call their doctor as soon as possible. open image in galleryHealth officials in San Diego have issued a warning after a bat with rabies landed on a family’s table at a local restaurant (Getty Images/iStock)“Only those who have direct contact with the bat, such as touching or holding the animal, are at risk for rabies,” the press release read. This is the 22nd bat to test positive for rabies in San Diego County this year, according to health officials.

This is up from the 21 bats that tested positive in 2025, and there are still about five months left in the year. “We work closely with animal health partners throughout the county to monitor for rabies among a variety of species,” Emily Trumbull, a veterinarian for the county’s Epidemiology Unit, told NBC 7 San Diego. “We test animals that may be suspicious for rabies, or that could be putting someone at high risk because of the type of exposure they had to these animals,” she said.

open image in galleryThe bat is the 22nd to test positive for rabies in San Diego County in 2026, according to public health officials (Getty Images)Rabies remains rare in humans, with the most recent case in California occurring in 2024 when a Fresno County resident was exposed to a bat in Merced County, according to Thursday’s press release. “Bats are protected wildlife, and they’re very important to our ecosystem,” Trumbull told NBC 7.Bats feed on insects such as mosquitoes and on nectar from plants, pollinating them in the process, according to the press release.

“So it’s really important to never touch a bat,” Trumbull said. “It’s important to respect the space of wildlife and stay a safe distance away from them.”Health officials advised anyone who comes in direct contact with a bat to wash the exposed area with soap and get medical attention.

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