Health · Wildlife exposureWestlake Village raccoon rabies: County's first detections since 1973Aired October 24, 2026 at 12:57 PM UTCWritten October 24, 2026 at 1:08 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07A rabid raccoon exposed two people at a work site in Westlake Village.0:11They're receiving emergency treatment to prevent infection.0:14Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms begin, but prompt preventive care is0:18highly effective.0:19Investigators are still working out how the second raccoon became infected.0:23Public health staff went door to door near the discoveries to warn residents and0:26share safety information.0:28The second raccoon was found in a backyard near the first animal.0:31Both discoveries were in Westlake Village within Los Angeles County.0:35The first raccoon was found in September, and the discoveries were about a month0:39apart.0:39The county announced the first case on October 5th, 2026.0:43Both animals had tested positive by October 22nd.0:47The county announced the second case on October 23rd.0:50The second raccoon was sick and aggressive.0:52Two people were exposed at a work site, and no pets were exposed.0:56The confirmed infections are in the raccoons.0:58Nobody has announced a human rabies diagnosis in these incidents.1:02The city's October 20th safety notice said no residents have been exposed.1:06Public Health identified two people exposed at a work site.1:10Officials haven't said where those people live, so the resident-specific wording1:14doesn't cancel out the work site exposures.1:16Four people may have been exposed in the first incident and were getting recommended1:20preventive follow-up on October 5.1:22One vaccinated dog was also possibly exposed.1:25The second incident involves two exposed people and no exposed pets.1:29The first raccoon appeared sick, but reportedly wasn't aggressive toward people.1:34The dog was under quarantine and doing well on October 5th.1:37Those were its circumstances then.1:39The earlier four-person count and the newer two-person count shouldn't be added1:42together as a total of distinct individuals.1:45The first raccoon carried a rabies variant usually found in bats.1:49Testing is still underway to identify the second animal's source of infection.1:53Health officials consider contact with infected bats the likely explanation.1:57So far, the detections haven't shown sustained transmission among raccoons.2:01The county's rabid bat count reached a record 77 by October 23rd.2:06up from 70 on October 5th.2:08These totals count animals found and tested.2:11They don't tell us what proportion of all bats have rabies.2:13Bats remain the county's established wildlife concern.2:17Before this year, its last confirmed rabid raccoon was detected in 1973 when a2:23skunk strain circulated locally.2:25That strain hasn't been detected here since 1979.2:28The last previously confirmed rabid animal other than a bat was a Long Beach skunk2:32carrying a bat variant in 2014.2:34County Health Officer Dr.2:36Muntu Davis urges people to avoid touching, handling, or feeding wildlife, even2:40animals that look healthy.2:42He says to keep a safe distance and call animal control about wildlife that appears2:46sick, injured, or behaves unusually.2:48Rabies attacks the central nervous system.2:51It usually spreads through a bite or scratch, or infected saliva reaching broken2:55skin, the eyes, nose, or mouth.2:57Even a small, unnoticed bite can matter.3:00Casual proximity doesn't transmit rabies.3:02And blood, urine, and feces aren't transmission routes.3:06A possible bite or saliva exposure needs immediate medical assessment.3:09Wildlife warning signs include aggression, approaching people or pets, circling,3:14trouble walking, and paralysis.3:15Bats active by day, grounded, or unable to fly may be ill.3:19These signs call for professional assessment.3:21They can't diagnose rabies by themselves.3:23A bat near a sleeping person, child, or pet also needs prompt professional3:27evaluation because contact may go unnoticed.3:30In people, rabies can begin with fever, weakness, and headache.3:33It can progress to tingling, agitation, hallucinations, difficulty swallowing, coma,3:38and death.3:39Preventive treatment needs to come before symptoms.3:41Don't wait for illness to seek care.3:43Westlake Village directs reports of sick, disoriented, aggressive, or deceased3:47wildlife to county animal care.3:49A wild mammal bite needs immediate medical advice and a report to public health.3:54Veterinary Public Health also accepts reports by email.3:57Animals can initially show less specific symptoms, including vomiting or breathing4:01trouble, before neurological changes develop.4:04Let Animal Control assess and collect wildlife for testing.4:07An area without a reported rabid animal can still have rabies because detections4:12depend on animals being found and submitted for testing.4:15Removing outdoor pet food helps keep wildlife away.4:18Keep trash lids tightly closed, seal crawl spaces and other openings, clear yard4:22debris and trim overgrowth, keep pets away from wildlife, and keep dogs and cats4:27vaccinated, including indoor-only cats and older pets.4:30Investigators still need the second raccoon's variant results and will watch for4:33further animal cases or exposures.4:36Officials haven't announced a date for those results or follow-up on the two4:39people's preventive care.4:40A pet bitten by a wild mammal needs immediate veterinary attention and reports to4:45Animal Control and Public Health.4:46County guidance calls for a rabies vaccination response and temporary home4:50quarantine for observation under professional direction.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗