Health officials issue dire warning to unsuspecting restaurant guests possibly exposed to rabies

Lunch with a side of rabid bat.

A rabid bat landed on a munching family’s table at a San Diego deli restaurant this past Sunday.

San Diego public health officials are concerned, issuing a notice to anyone who may have touched the bat that they are at risk of contracting rabies and should call their healthcare provider.

No direct contact with the bat was reported. A diner scooped up the bat with a towel and transported it to the Humane Society in Oceanside, where it tested positive for the highly fatal disease.

The bat is the 22nd to test positive for rabies in San Diego County this year, already beating 2025’s 21 rabid bats. It’s the most confirmed rabies-positive bats since at least 2021, according to county data.

Bats are the only species to test positive for rabies this year.

San Diego officials reminded residents:

• Respect the space of wildlife, do not touch or approach bats or any wildlife.  
• If you have direct contact with a bat, wash the exposed area with soap and seek medical advice.  
• Rabies symptoms can take weeks to months to appear, and once symptoms begin, the disease is almost always fatal. Prompt treatment after an exposure is highly effective.  

The state hasn’t had a human rabies case since 2024, when a Fresno County resident was exposed to a rabid bat in Merced County. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms are seen but is considered preventable with treatment.

San Diego officials emphasized the importance of bats in the local ecosystem.

“Bats play an important role in our local ecosystem,” they wrote. “Many species of bats live in San Diego County, feeding on insects such as mosquitos. Other bat species feed on nectar from plants and pollinate them in the process. You may see bats occasionally around sunset when they are most active.  It is important to respect wildlife and give wild animals space to play their role in our natural environment. ”

Fewer than 10 Americans die from rabies every year, according to the CDC.

It’s unclear what the bat ordered, but the family hopes the flying mammal is not giving them any leftovers to take home.

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