Overview
- Public health agencies renewed warnings on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, urging people not to touch bats, to report finds to local services, and to seek immediate medical care after any bite or scratch.
- The Department of Health in Catalonia reported a 23% rise in bat incidents this year, with 86 notifications through Aug. 12 versus 70 for all of 2025, and officials say roughly two thirds of animal exposures have required rabies prophylaxis.
- Argentina continues to record animal circulation of rabies tied mainly to insectivorous bats, with 927 confirmed animal episodes from 2019–2024 and the last human case in 2021, reinforcing calls to keep dog and cat vaccinations current.
- Mexico’s federal programs run by SENASICA and PRONABIVE maintain national livestock vaccination, laboratory confirmation, producer training and targeted control of hematophagous bats to protect herds and rural economies.
- Local action this week includes community workshops in Jujuy and ongoing canine vaccination drives in places like Huamanga, and experts warn that post‑pandemic drops in routine vaccination could increase spillover, raise demand for post‑exposure treatment, and threaten both public health and farm incomes.