Urgent warning as rabid bat cases surge in elite California college town

Watch your bat. An elite California college town has issued urgent warning to residents after a surge of rabid bats found in the area. Five bats have tested positive for rabies in the quaint college city of Berkley so far this year, according to a recently released memo from the city. The cases represent a sharp increase from previous years, with two or fewer rabid bats reported locally in each of the previous six years. Five cases of rabies-infested bats have been reported this year in the city of Berkeley, a sharp increase from previous years. Getty Images No human cases of rabies have been identified, but a cat in the nearby city of Pleasanton tested positive for rabies in June 2026. Rabies is treatable in humans if caught early before symptoms arise, but is almost always fatal without