Be vigilant, say Suffolk health officials after fifth rabid raccoon in Amityville 

After a fifth raccoon from Amityville tested positive for rabies this past weekend, Suffolk County health officials are urging residents to be vigilant, get their pets vaccinated and report any sick or dead raccoons.

The raccoon was found dead in North Amityville on May 6 and had no known contact with people or pets, officials said. A test from the state Health Department’s Wadsworth Center confirmed the animal had rabies.

Suffolk County had not reported any rabid raccoons since 2009 when the first one was found in Amityville this year on Jan. 28. Since then four additional raccoons with rabies have been discovered in the area.

There has also been an uptick in Nassau County, which documented 13 cases in 2024 and at least 13 so far this year. Most have been raccoons but three feral cats also tested positive.

Rabies is a potentially deadly disease that is transmitted to humans by the bite or scratch of an infected animal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A person who has contact with a rabid animal may be able to avoid serious illness if they receive treatment immediately.

Long Island has a large raccoon population, and seeing them in the daylight hours does not mean they are sick, experts said. Many raccoons seek food during the day, especially during baby season.

"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," Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott said in a statement.

Vaccine baits are generally distributed in wooded areas, sewers and other places where raccoons congregate. They have a fishy smell and taste that attracts the raccoons and includes the vaccine for rabies. The Nassau County Health Department placed baits in several areas earlier this month.

Suffolk County officials also said rabies has been confirmed in 25 bats collected in the county since 2016.

Anyone who encounters raccoons appearing sick or disoriented are asked to contact the Suffolk County Police Department at 631-852-COPS or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at 631-444-0250.

People who see dead raccoons in the towns of Babylon, Huntington, Islip or Smithtown should report them to tophp@suffolkcountyny.gov or call 631-852-5900 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Anyone who is bitten by an animal or has contact with wild animals should call the Suffolk County Department of Health Services at 631-854-0333 on weekdays and 631-852-4820 after business hours.

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.