Officials on Long Island have issued a health warning to local residents after a raccoon was discovered on the Nassau/Suffolk County border with a case of rabies, the fifth case so far this year.
The rabid raccoon was found deceased in North Amityville on May 6, officials say; prior to the five documented cases so far in 2025, the last reported finding of rabies in a raccoon on Long Island was back in 2009.
Given the long stretch of time between diagnoses and the large number found recently in such a relatively short span of time, local health officials have expressed concern and have issued warnings for Nassau and Suffolk residents to be cautious.
“We continue to conduct increased raccoon surveillance particularly in western Suffolk County as we prepare to conduct an oral rabies vaccine baiting campaign to begin later this year,” said Suffolk County Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott. “We prepare to conduct an oral rabies vaccine baiting campaign to begin later this year. We encourage residents to continue to remain vigilant and report sick or dead raccoons to us.”
If a dead raccoon is found in the surrounding towns of Babylon, Huntington, Islip, and Smithtown, residents are encouraged to call the Suffolk County to report it at 631-852-5900.