Three rabid bat encounters in Riverside County in August

Mariaelena Rodriguez was visiting an off-road recreation area of Coachella when, unbeknownst to her,a bat flew in her family’s car.

“We headed to the gas station and got drinks and came back and I grabbed what I thought was trash in my cupholder and it was the bat,” Rodriguez said.

Agitated, the bat immediately bit her thumb and terrified Rodriguez’s 9-year-old son and boyfriend, who were also in the car.

“I was trying to shake it off my hand and it’s screeching and squealing and landed on my headrest which was staring my son right in the face,” Rodriguez said.

Luckily, no one else in the car was hurt and Mariaelena’s boyfriend was able to trap the bat in a box.

“I was like I just got bit by a bat what do I do?” Rodriquez said.

She decided to call the Riverside County Department of Public Health’s hotline and was told to immediately head for the ER.

“A bat could have a very serious disease,” said John Welsh, public information officer for the Riverside County Animal Services. “But as long as you go get it taken care of right away you’ll be okay.”

The bat that bit Rodriquez tested positive for rabies. Welsh says while rare, the virus could be life-threatening and seeing this nocturnal animal during the day could be a sign the bat is sick.

“Bats serve a great purpose in eating bugs and mosquitoes, they do a good job doing that at night but you come across a bat during the day don’t touch it.”

That’s exactly what happened to a group in Lake Elsinore just last week. They found a bat, put it in a box and as many as eight people, including kids, rubbed it like a pet. All of them were possibly exposed to the rabies.

The next day a Moreno Valley woman also came in contact with a rabid bat in her garage.

“Stay away from bats,” Rodriguez said. “If you see them call animal control and more importantly vaccinate your animals.”