Rabid raccoon in Nassau makes 22 reported so far this year, adding to concern over rabies spread

Another rabid raccoon reported Friday in Nassau has added to the spike in rabies cases on Long Island that has health officials concerned about the spread of the potentially fatal disease.

In July, Nassau County officials declared rabies an "imminent public health threat," warning residents to protect their pets and stay away from wild animals.

Including the rabid raccoon reported Friday, there were 23 reported rabies cases for 2025 in Nassau — 22 raccoons and one cat, health department spokesperson Alyssa Zohrabian said. In 2024, four raccoons and two cats tested positive. Health officials did not specify where in Nassau the latest case had been reported from.

Before this recent spike, there hadn't been a rabies case in Nassau since last summer, and, before that, none since 2016.

In Suffolk, nine raccoons have so far tested positive for rabies in 2025 — eight in Amityville and one in Deer Park.

Before this year, Suffolk had not reported a rabid raccoon since 2009.

The increase in cases has been linked to a number of factors, including a halt in New York City's rabies vaccine baiting program last year due to a funding cut. The city Health Department said in an email to Newsday it distributed the oral vaccine baits, coated with fishlike flavoring, for raccoons to eat, in areas since 2014. 

Earlier this month, Suffolk County health officials did a baiting program in Babylon, Huntington, Smithtown and Islip. Suffolk County Chief Public Health Sanitarian Stephen Kane has said those areas were selected because rabid raccoons have been found in western Suffolk and Nassau County. The hope is to create a barrier of vaccinated animals to slow or end the spread of rabies cases heading east.

Nassau did similar baiting in September 2024 and April.

The rise in cases has spurred officials to offer free rabies vaccine clinics to residents.

The Nassau County Department of Health — along with the Town of Oyster Bay — will offer free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter at 150 Miller Place in Syosset.

The department also plans to host another rabies clinic this fall, Zohrabian said.

On Sept. 20, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services in conjunction with the Suffolk County SPCA will host a rabies vaccination clinic for dogs, cats and ferrets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the William J. Lindsay Complex at 725 Veterans Memorial Hwy. in Hauppauge.

Nassau Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman said in a news release: "Ensuring your pet’s rabies vaccination is current helps protect your family and community and it prevents the need for your pet to face strict quarantine if exposed to an animal that is known to carry and transmit the virus."

Vaccination also acts as a barrier to prevent rabies from spreading between wild animals and people, the Suffolk health department said.

Rabies vaccinations are required by state law for dogs, cats and domesticated ferrets. Both departments recommend that pets no older than 4 months receive their first two shots one year apart and additional booster shots every three years thereafter.

Dogs must be on a leash and cats and ferrets must be in enclosed carriers at the clinics.

Rabies is a viral disease transmitted from infected mammals to humans. Left untreated it can lead to death.

Early symptoms include irritability, headache, fever and sometimes itching at the site of exposure. Within days, the disease can progress to paralysis, spasms of the throat muscles, convulsions, delirium and death, Suffolk health officials said.

Both Nassau and Suffolk health departments said anyone bitten or scratched by a wild animal should seek immediate medical care and report the incident. In Nassau, call the health department at 516-227-9663. In Suffolk, call the health department at 631-854-0333.

Newsday's Lisa L. Colangelo contributed to this report.