California is having its worst rabies year in nearly three decades. SFGate reports the state has broken a 28-year record. The California Department of Public Health's provisional table, covering Jan. 1 through Oct. 14, 2026, lists 368 rabid animals statewide: 344 bats, 21 skunks, one cat, one dog and one raccoon. At the end of August, the count was 252.
Bay Area counts so far this year
- Marin: 9 bats
- Santa Cruz: 9 bats
- Alameda (including Berkeley): 8, made up of 7 bats and 1 cat. Berkeley accounts for 3 bats.
- Contra Costa: 8 bats
- San Mateo: 3 bats
- San Francisco: 2 bats
- Santa Clara: 2 bats
- Napa: 0
All figures are provisional and will change as labs report more cases.
A national rise
The Sacramento Bee reports that on Sept. 10, the CDC issued a nationwide health alert. Rabies-related inquiries from July through August were 17% higher than in 2025, and demand for rabies vaccine was up roughly 33%. Since 1980, 17 people in California have been infected with rabies, most recently in 2024.
How to protect yourself and your pets
Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms start, but treatment after an exposure works if it's given before symptoms appear. Bat bites can be tiny and easy to miss. Health officials advise:
- Don't touch wild animals, especially bats on the ground or in your home.
- Seal gaps where bats could get into your house.
- Keep pets' rabies vaccinations current.
- Call a health care provider right away after any possible exposure.