Rabies cases in San Joaquin County have surpassed last year’s total after the recent discovery of an infected bat in Lodi.

The bat, found near Lodi Lake this month, is the city’s first recorded rabies case since 2023 and the county’s third case this year, local public health officials said. All three cases in the county have involved bats. 

Last year, there were two cases of rabies in San Joaquin County, also discovered in bats, according to provisional reports from the California Department of Public Health.

Although this year’s overall case count is already higher than last year’s, state and local health officials say the numbers may level off. And they emphasize the risk of a person contracting the deadly virus is low.

“This is not an uncommon occurrence,” San Joaquin County Public Health Officer Maggie Park said in a statement. 

Rabies, a virus that infects the brain, is spread through saliva, typically by bites from an infected animal. The disease also can be transmitted by “slobber” contact with broken skin or the eyes, nose or mouth, CDPH data indicates. It is not spread through casual contact or being near an infected animal. Once signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes. 

Across California, there has been a noted increase in rabies cases in the first five months of 2026 compared to recent years, CDPH spokesperson Grant Boyken said. 

But the detection of rabies in wildlife can fluctuate across years and seasons, he said. 

“While the numbers of animal rabies reports has risen, there is no evidence to indicate that rabies has expanded to species beyond the bats and skunks where rabies is routinely found in California,” Boyken said. “The risk of rabies to the general public remains low.”

The current numbers in San Joaquin County track with figures from previous years. The highest case count recently occurred in 2021, when five rabies cases were recorded, CDPH data shows. That year, one bat and four skunks tested positive. In 2022, there were three confirmed cases in the county, and in both 2023 and 2024, there were four rabies cases.

Bats and skunks make up 80% to 90% of all rabies cases across California, Park said. 

In Lodi, no human infections were reported. The owner of the property where the bat was found was advised to quarantine the family dog in case it came in contact with the bat, city spokesperson Nancy Sarieh said in a statement to Stocktonia.

Corky Quirk, founder of the bat rescue and education group NorCal Bats, said thousands of bats take flight every night throughout San Joaquin County. 

“Bats are extremely common, we just don’t notice them,” Quirk said. “And just like any large group of anything, there can, unfortunately, be some that are sick.”

But that’s rare, she said. Quirk and her group frequently field calls of bats found on the ground in Northern California. In most instances, she said, the animals are orphaned, dehydrated or simply struggling to hunt.

When infections do occur, bats will typically stop eating and drinking as their metabolism slows and the disease progresses, Quirk said. The animals will roost low or on the ground because of their lethargy. Rabid bats usually aren’t aggressive, she added, unlike dogs who contract the disease. 

While the majority of rabies cases are found in wild animals, according to CDC data, the virus can be spread to humans and domestic pets.

Still, human rabies cases are rare in the United States, with fewer than 10 deaths reported each year, CDC data shows.

In 2024, a San Joaquin Valley teacher died after she was bitten by a bat inside her classroom.

Health officials emphasize the virus is preventable. Pets should be kept up to date with vaccines and should not interact with wildlife. If a bat or any other wild animal is found, whether alive or dead, local animal control officers should be contacted. 

If a person is bitten by a wild animal, health officials advise immediately scrubbing the wound with soap and water, and seeking medical care for potential post-exposure rabies shots. 

“Certainly, rabies is a terrible virus,” Quirk said. “But we can do things to keep ourselves safe.”