San Diego County health officials are warning residents to avoid contact with bats after 14 rabid bats were found countywide this year, including recent cases connected to Santee, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the San Diego Zoo, according to East County Magazine.

The warning comes as summer approaches, when rabies detections are most common. County officials said rabies can spread through a bite or when saliva from an infected bat gets into a cut, scrape, the eyes, nose or mouth. They also cautioned that bat bites can be too small to see.

People who come into direct contact with a bat, or think they may have touched one, should wash the area with soap and contact County Public Health Services at (619) 692-8499 immediately. Officials said post-exposure vaccination is highly effective when given before symptoms begin.

For Santee residents, the practical takeaway is simple: do not handle bats found around homes, parks, schools or businesses, and make sure pets are current on rabies vaccinations. Bats are protected species and should not be killed, harmed or kept.

East County Magazine reported the warning and linked residents to the county's rabies information and local data dashboard for more details.