DISCOVERY OF 4TH RABID BAT PROMPTS HEALTH WARNING.

Byline: Don Holland Daily News Staff Writer

A rabid bat, the fourth found in Ventura County this year, was discovered last week in a park, prompting public health officials to warn of the dangers of diseased animals.

The dying, rabid bat was found near the restrooms at Chumash Park in east Ventura, said Stephen Matson, director of the Ventura County Public Health Department laboratory. Officials are trying to learn whether the animal was handled before it was found by a park groundskeeper Oct. 6.

Although skunks were once the most common carrier of rabies in the county, bats now hold that distinction. Typically four to 10 rabid bats turn up in the county each year, although the number has risen as high as 24.

It's not yet clear whether the relatively low numbers this year reflect an actual decline in the incidence of rabies among bats or whether fewer sick bats are being found.

``During the five-year period prior to 1997, of all the bats we tested, 12 percent were positive (for rabies),'' said Matson. The bat population as a whole, he added, probably has a significantly lower incidence of rabies.

Bats are found throughout Ventura County, and one variety migrates from Mexico to Northern California.

There has never been a case of a human, pet or domestic animal contracting rabies in Ventura County, said Marilyn Billimek, an epidemiologist and public health nurse for the county.

``We worry about dogs and cats playing with (sick bats) as they're dying,'' Billimek said. ``But that's why we have rabies vaccinations to prevent that.''

The county's only known rabies death was of a man who was bitten while trying to befriend a stray dog in Mexico.

Rabies is a viral disease usually transmitted through saliva. People contract the virus most often through animal bites. Contact with saliva and cuts in the skin also can cause infection.

Nationwide, between one and six people die each year from rabies, and 10,000 more are treated with vaccine injections after being exposed to an infected animal.

In Ventura County, skunks and bats are the most common carriers of rabies. Rodents, including squirrels, rats, mice, rabbits and opossums, rarely carry it.

SAFETY TIPS

The Ventura County Health Department recommends the following steps to prevent exposure to rabies:

Avoid contact with dead animals or animals behaving in a strange or aggressive manner.

Report stray animals to the Ventura County Animal Regulation Department at [phone].

Have your pets vaccinated and keep their vaccinations current.

Do not allow pets to roam where they might come in contact with wild or rabid animals.

If you come in contact with an animal you suspect might be rabid, thoroughly wash the affected area with soap and water. Then call your doctor.

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