Two raccoons found in Westlake Village backyards have tested positive for rabies, the first confirmed cases in Los Angeles County in more than 50 years.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced Friday, Oct. 23, that a second rabies-positive raccoon had been detected in the area, roughly one month after the first was confirmed Oct. 5. Both animals were found in backyards. The second was located near where the first was reported, according to the department.
The last confirmed rabid raccoon in LA County was detected in 1973.
Public Health officials have gone door to door in the area where the raccoons were found to notify residents, according to a Westlake Village city alert posted Thursday, Oct. 22. The city said no residents have been exposed, though the county's press releases describe potential workplace exposures tied to both animals.
In the first case, one vaccinated dog may have been exposed and was placed under quarantine. The dog is doing well, the department said. Four people at a worksite may also have been exposed and are receiving post-exposure prophylaxis, a series of vaccines that can prevent rabies infection. In the second case, two worksite employees may have been exposed and are also receiving the treatment. No residents or pets were exposed to the second raccoon.
Strain testing confirmed the first raccoon carried a variant of rabies typically found in bats. Testing on the second raccoon is still pending. The department said the infections are likely linked to contact with infected bats rather than ongoing transmission among raccoons.
That pattern fits a broader trend.
LA County has confirmed a record-breaking 77 rabid bats so far in 2026, according to the department. The county has seen a steady upward trend in rabid bat detections for more than a decade.
"The detection of rabies in a raccoon is an important reminder to never touch, handle, or feed any wild animals, even when they appear healthy," said Muntu Davis, LA County health officer, in the department's Oct. 5 statement.
The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control is also urging pet owners to act. Director Marcia Mayeda said the department's Vet@ThePark clinics offer free pet vaccinations, according to Hometown Station. Rabies is 100% fatal in animals once symptoms begin but is preventable through vaccination, the department said.
Residents who see sick, aggressive or dead wildlife should call Los Angeles County Animal Care at (562) 940-6898. Anyone bitten by a wild mammal should seek medical advice and contact Public Health at (213) 288-7060.
