The rabies virus seen via microscopy. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) announced the first rabies-related death of a Fresno County resident in over 30 years on Tuesday, following exposure to the illness in Merced County last month.

The exposure, which happened in mid-October, according to the department, was first reported on Friday in a news release. The release stated that the individual was infected after being bitten by a bat.

The fatality marks the first from rabies in a Fresno County resident since 1992. Once symptoms of the illness appear, the disease is almost always fatal.

Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, however, it is not typically transmissible through the air, according to Dr. Trinidad Solis, deputy health officer with the department.

The FCDPH held an emergency media briefing Tuesday afternoon, and will work closely with the hospital the patient was treated at, as well as health care workers and family who came into contact with the infected person.

The hospital where the patient was treated was not disclosed.

On Friday, the department issued warnings and recommendations for residents to consider when encountering wild animals — particularly bats and skunks, two common sources of rabies exposure.

The department urges residents to notify the department to report bats — alive or dead — but reminds residents to refrain from touching, adding that bites or scratches from bats often go undetected.

Residents who have come into contact with bats are urged to wash any bite or scratch wounds with soap and water, contact health care providers for evaluations and treatment, and report the incident to the department.

Individuals can report the location of dead bats to the Fresno County Environmental Health Division at (559) 600-3357. Merced County Communicable Disease Division can be reached by calling (209) 381-1020 or by email.