Bat at Newport apartments tests positive for rabies

A bat found Saturday at the Baypointe Apartments in Newport Beach has tested positive for rabies, Newport Beach police said Tuesday.

Animal control officers took the bat from an apartment in the 2500 block of University Drive and had it tested by county health officials. Because of the positive rabies test, healthcare workers are asking anyone in the Baypointe Apartments who may have had contact with the bat to call the Orange County Health Care Agency at (714) 834-8180 or the Newport Beach Police Department at (949) 644-3717.

Residents also should make sure their pets are vaccinated, report stray animals and bites to police, and tell police if they see bats during the day.

— Alicia Robinson