Public health officials urged caution Friday after bats found in Long Beach and Irvine tested positive for rabies.
Rabies is a viral disease that can spread to humans through the bite or scratch of an infected animal. The virus attacks the central nervous system and can cause severe brain disease and death if a person does not receive treatment before symptoms begin. Once symptoms appear, rabies is nearly always fatal.
In Irvine, the infected bat was found near Wedgewood and Whispering Pine off Portola Parkway on Sept. 28 at about 4:45 p.m., according to city officials…