Bat that dropped onto table at SoCal restaurant had rabies, officials say

Health authorities are looking for people who may have come into contact with a bat that fell onto a table at a north San Diego County restaurant on Sunday just as a family was having lunch. The bat fell onto a table at the Yellow Deli in Vista, startling patrons. It later tested positive for rabies, according to the county Communications Office. After the animal fell to the table, one patron grabbed it with a towel and took it to the Humane Society in Oceanside. The bat was later transferred to the San Diego County Public Health Laboratory, where it was tested and found to be carrying rabies, authorities said Thursday. The incident spurred Health Department authorities to warn those who had handled the bat or might have come into contact with the creature to contact their healthcare provider. At this time, no one is believed to have made direct skin contact with the bat, the county said in a news release. Only those who have come into direct contact, "such as touching or holding the animal, are at risk for rabies," officials said. Authorities said receiving treatment for rabies directly after a potential exposure "is highly effective." Rabies can take weeks or months to appear, and once symptoms are present, there is no treatment for the disease, which is "almost always fatal," health officials said. So far in 2026, 22 bats have tested positive for rabies in San Diego County. In 2025, for the entire year, 21 bats tested positive, officials said. Public health authorities say that to avoid direct exposure to rabies, residents should "respect the space of wildlife" and not touch or approach bats, which are most active around sunset. "Bats play an important role in our local ecosystem. Many species of bats live in San Diego County, feeding on insects such as mosquitoes. Other bat species feed on nectar from plants and pollinate them in the process," authorities said. In L.A. County, there have been 31 cases of bats testing positive for rabies in 2026. A majority of the cases were found in the Santa Clarita Valley region, according to the county Public Health Department.