Suffolk County officials say they have another rabid raccoon case, nearly two months after reporting their first such case in more than 15 years.
Health officials say a dead raccoon found in Amityville on March 4, 2025, tested positive for rabies. The confirmation was received from the Wadsworth Center at the New York State Department of Health three days later. There was no known human or animal contact with the raccoon. It was the second case this year.
The first case was found on January 28, 2025, in North Amityville. Before this year, Suffolk County had not reported a rabid raccoon since 2009.
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 progresses to paralysis, spasms of the throat muscles, convulsions, delirium, and death.
People can get rabies if they are exposed to the saliva or nervous tissue of a rabid animal through a bite. It is also possible, although rare, that people can get rabies if infectious material, such as saliva, from a rabid animal, gets directly into their eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound.
Dr. Gregson Pigott, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, said, “We are very concerned that rabies is spreading along our western border, and we ask for the public’s help: First, ensure that your pets are vaccinated for rabies. Next, take appropriate precautions when you are out and among wild animals. Finally, if you live in the towns of Babylon, Huntington, Islip or Smithtown and encounter a dead raccoon, contact us at the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.”
The confirmation comes two months after authorities in neighboring Nassau County issued a rabies warning, based on a spike in cases they'd seen since July. In that January alert, Nassau County Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman said eight rabid raccoons and feral cats had been found within the most recent six-month period in communities stretching from Cedarhurst to Massapequa Park.
That comes after no animal had tested positive for rabies in the county since 2016.
In one recent case, a Massapequa Park resident was bitten by an infected animal.
Dr. Gelman said more than 500 people in 2024 were bitten, scratched or came in close contact with a possibly rabid animal. Fortunately, there have been no human rabies cases.
Frank Floridia, an animal rescuer on Long Island, called on residents to keep an eye on their pets and immediately report any wild creatures that don’t look well.
"Everybody has to take extreme precautions. Everybody has to be worried about the situation. It’s life-threatening," said Floridia. "It's pretty scary that rabies is back on Long Island."
He said residents should keep an eye on their pets and immediately report any wild animals that look sick or unwell.
So what has sparked the sudden rise in rabies cases? Nassau County said it is in part due to NYC's failure in 2024 to bait for rabid animals along the Queens-Nassau border. City officials did not immediately respond to that claim, but the county health commissioner said they are talking with city health officials to attack the problem.
