Nassau rabies uptick could be driven by pause in Queens vaccine bait drop, county exec says

New York City’s decision to stop dropping vaccination bait along the Nassau-Queens border might be a factor in the recent uptick of animal rabies cases in the county, Nassau officials said at a news conference Thursday.

Just this week, a raccoon found in Hempstead Lake State Park tested positive for rabies, bringing the total number of positive cases to eight since this past summer. There are no reported human cases.

"We believe that some of those animals are coming into Nassau County (from Queens) and we have a very robust anti-rabies program," County Executive Bruce Blakeman said at the news conference. 

He said Nassau County Health Commissioner Irina Gelman has been in contact with New York City’s Health Department.

The bait, which smells like food, contains rabies vaccine and will inoculate raccoons that consume it in an effort to stop the spread of the disease.

The city Health Department said in an email to Newsday it distributed oral rabies vaccine in areas since 2014 but did not receive the dedicated funding to continue the program in 2024, 

"We know that rabies has been circulating on the Island that includes Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Kings counties for many years," the agency said. "Raccoons don’t respect boundaries, so we’re not able to determine how and where rabid raccoons are moving or being moved by people … we would be happy to continue to provide technical assistance for an oral rabies vaccine program."

Rabies, a viral disease, is spread to humans and pets via bites and scratches from an infected animal. It can be deadly in people if not treated immediately.

Over almost a decade, confirmed rabies cases in Nassau County were few and far between. In 2016, a raccoon tested positive for rabies and one year later a pet cat that had been adopted from Westchester but was not vaccinated against rabies was found to have the disease.

Before last summer, the only animals that tested positive since 2018 were two bats.

Then in July 2024, a rare case of rabies was discovered in a feral cat picked up in Cedarhurst. In August, a second feral cat and raccoon were picked up in Valley Stream, followed by raccoons in Hewlett, Roslyn Heights, Massapequa Park, West Hempstead and, most recently, Hempstead Lake State Park.

Suffolk County rabies cases in 2024 include four bats that tested positive, according to the most recent data available.

The individual in the Massapequa Park case was bitten and scratched by a raccoon after it jumped out of a trash can. The animal tested positive for rabies

In response, the county held vaccination clinics for pet dogs, cats and ferrets in the summer. It also dropped rabies vaccine bait in wooded areas, storm drains and streambeds in Cedarhurst, Hewlett, Inwood, Lawrence, Valley Stream and Woodmere in September.

"We do not want to raise alarm, we do want to raise awareness," Gelman said. "Residents can reduce their risk by avoiding contact with wild or stray animals and ensuring your pets are kept current on their rabies vaccination."

She said in 2024, there were 1,864 animal bites reported to the county Health Department and 534 of those people received post-exposure treatment because the animal was suspected, or at risk, of having rabies.

Gelman said any pets that have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal should be reported immediately to the Nassau County Health Department. In addition, residents can report dead or sick animals to rabies@nassaucountyny.gov.

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.