Health officials warn public to avoid wild animals after rabid bats found in Ontario, New York, and California.

Health officials in multiple locations have reported finding rabid bats, urging the public to avoid contact with wild animals. In Lindsay, Ontario, health officials are searching for someone who may have had contact with a rabid bat. Niagara County, New York, and Orange County, California, have also found rabid bats, leading to precautionary booster shots for vaccinated cats and warnings for residents to keep pets indoors and ensure they are vaccinated. Rabies, almost always fatal once symptoms appear, can be transmitted through bat saliva and is most commonly spread by bats, foxes, skunks, and raccoons.