69 rabid bats found in L.A. County this year, nearing record Play

69 rabid bats have been found in L.A. County this year. That's nearly a record. Public health officials Monday urged people: don't ever touch a bat. Ever.

Rabid bats have been trending upward in the county for more than a decade. Two-thirds of the rabid bats were found out in the Santa Clarita Valley, but some have been found in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Bats are an important part of the environment — they eat a lot of insects — but they can be infected with and spread rabies. Once symptoms appear in a human, the disease is almost always fatal. It can be treated, however, with inoculations after contact.

The county urges that anyone who finds a bat indoors or who thinks they may have had contact with a bat to contact their doctor or public health right away. And remember: never touch a bat or any other wild animal.