Health officials need help identifying people who handled bat with rabies

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – It is rare to hear about a person infected with rabies from a bat, but it can and does happen.

And that is why public health investigators are asking if anyone had contact with the bat found outside a San Marcos business.

With their furry bodes, and tiny fanged teeth, the bat is the inspiration behind many Halloween horror stories.

A bite from a bat with rabies can dangerous even deadly.

Public health officials are looking for a group of five children who came across a rabid bat last Saturday morning outside the entrance to a San Marcos pizza restaurant.

Witnesses report they also saw the bat in nearby trees in Civic Center Plaza that day.

The bat was taken away and brought to a county lab where it tested positive for rabies.

People passing through the area seemed surprised to hear about the bat.

Being bitten by a bat, or coming in contact with its saliva can lead to infection.

Doctor Dean Sidelinger who works for Health and Human Services says that rabies symptoms may include fever, and feeling listless or under the weather.

After a person is exposed to rabies, the treatment may include a one time injection of a substance called HRIG, or a series of vaccine doses to provide protection against infection.

Anyone can reach the County Health Services at (619) 692-8499.