Rabid Bat Found; Fremont Health Warns Residents

Fremont police said on May 29 that a bat found near a sidewalk in the Palo Verde Common area of South Fremont had tested positive for rabies. Alameda County Vector Control collected the bat on May 26 and confirmed the positive test on May 28, according to a city press release. Officials said the animal was within reach of pedestrians and pets, but no human or animal exposures were known at the time. The case follows another rabid bat found in Fremont’s Glenmoor neighborhood in early April, making it the city’s second confirmed rabid bat this year. ### Where was the bat found, and when did officials confirm rabies? Palo Verde Common in South Fremont was the location where Alameda County Vector Control picked up the bat on Tuesday, May 26, city officials said. The Fremont Police Department said the bat was near a sidewalk and close enough to be reached by people or animals. Rabies was confirmed two days later, on May 28, and the city posted the public notice on May 29. (fremontpolice.gov) Warm Springs was identified by NBC Bay Area as the broader neighborhood where warning signs and flyers went up after the test result. The station reported the bat was a Mexican free-tailed bat. ### Why are officials treating this as a public health warning if no one is known to have been exposed? Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms begin, the California Department of Public Health says. (fremontpolice.gov) The disease spreads through the bite of an infected animal, and in California the animals most often found with rabies are bats and skunks, according to the state health agency. (nbcbayarea.com) The Fremont Police Department said anyone who touched the bat or may have been bitten should call the Alameda County Public Health Acute Communicable Disease Program at 510-267-3250 and seek medical care immediately. CDC guidance says bat bites can be very small, and people who were bitten or scratched should wash the wound with soap and water and get medical help right away. (cdph.ca.gov) ### Is this an isolated case in Fremont? April 2 was the date Patch reported on Fremont’s earlier rabid bat case in the Glenmoor neighborhood. In that incident, police said a dead bat found at a home had tested positive and no human or animal exposures had been reported. The May case is therefore the second rabid bat reported in Fremont in 2026. (fremontpolice.gov) NBC Bay Area also described it as one of several rabies cases involving bats reported around the Bay Area this year. ### What are residents being told to do now? Fremont police said residents should not touch sick or dead animals and should report them to Fremont Animal Services or the Alameda County Public Health Department. (patch.com) The city also told pet owners to contact Fremont Animal Services at 510-790-6635 and their veterinarian right away if a pet had any contact with the bat. (nbcbayarea.com) California requires all dogs to be vaccinated against rabies, according to the state health department. Fremont officials also urged residents to vaccinate dogs and cats, keep dogs on their property, remove outdoor pet food that can attract wildlife, and avoid feeding or handling wild animals even if they appear sick or injured. (fremontpolice.gov) ### How do health agencies say people can reduce the risk around homes? CDC guidance says bats can get through openings as small as a quarter inch, and Fremont’s notice gave the same threshold for sealing gaps around roofs and vents. The city advised residents to use quarter-inch mesh on attic vents and to keep those screens maintained. The Fremont notice said residents who find a sick or dead bat in a yard or home should avoid direct contact. (cdph.ca.gov) Alameda County Vector Control is leading the investigation and has already leafleted the immediate area where the bat was found, the city said. Alameda County Public Health and Fremont Animal Services are the named agencies for the next step if residents believe a person or pet had contact with the bat. (cdc.gov) The city’s May 29 notice directs possible human exposures to the county communicable disease program and pet exposures to Fremont Animal Services and a veterinarian. (fremontpolice.gov)