By admin 
Sutter County health officials have confirmed a bat captured inside a Yuba City home was rabid and are telling residents to act with caution.
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Sutter Animal Services Authority officials collected the bat Aug. 20 from a home in the area of the 700 block of Andrew Drive, in Yuba City. The Sacramento County Health Lab tested the animal and confirmed the virus, animal services officials said in a Thursday statement.
More than 200 animal rabies cases have been reported in California this year, as of Aug. 14, including two reported cases in neighboring Yuba County, according to the California Department of Public Health. Bats, skunks, foxes and raccoons are the most common animals that carry and spread the virus.
Officials warned residents never to touch bats, especially if they appeared sick or dead, and to make sure their pets’ rabies vaccinations were up to date.
In humans, the rabies virus, transmitted in the saliva of an infected animal, is a serious and fatal disease that attacks the central nervous system.
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Sutter health officials cautioned residents to avoid contact with wild animals, place screens on all windows and install chimney caps. They advised people who encountered a live bat inside a room to leave and close the door.
Health officials also advised residents to place draft guards underneath doors, make sure exterior doors closed tightly and keep doors and unscreened windows closed, especially while sleeping.
For more information on rabies, visit the California Department of Public Health website.
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