Rabid raccoon in Amityville is third confirmed in Suffolk County, prompts health alert

A third raccoon has been confirmed as rabid in western Suffolk, prompting a health alert from county health officials Saturday.

The sick raccoon, found in Amityville on Monday, tested positive for rabies at a state health department lab in Albany on Friday, according to a press release from the county.

It’s the third raccoon in the region to test positive for the viral disease, which can be spread between animals and humans through bites and scratches and lead to death if left untreated.

The first case was a dead raccoon discovered in North Amityville on Jan. 28; officials confirmed a second case in a dead raccoon in Amityville on March 4, Newsday previously reported.

Health department officials said no people or pets came in contact with the sick raccoon.

In a statement, county health commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott said officials are “very concerned” about the spread of the disease and urged residents to remain vigilant.

“We are exploring options to curtail further spread, including the deployment of oral rabies vaccine for the raccoon population,” Pigott said.

Following the first confirmed case of rabies in Suffolk, Pigott and other health officials presented an approximately $509,000 plan for an oral rabies vaccine delivered via bait to stop the spread in raccoons, Newsday reported earlier this month.

Before this string of cases, the county went 16 years without a rabid raccoon reported.

Rabies also spiked over the last year in Nassau County, where the disease was found in two feral cats and six raccoons. One Massapequa Park resident was treated with post-exposure prophylaxis after being bit and scratched by a raccoon, according to a Newsday report.

To prevent the spread, Pigott urges residents to vaccinate pets, avoid contact with wild animals and keep trash bins from overflowing, since they can attract raccoons.

Residents in Babylon, Huntington, Islip or Smithtown who encounter dead raccoons should report them by emailing php@suffolkcountyny.gov or calling 631-852-5900.

Officials also said sightings of raccoons acting abnormally should be reported to Suffolk police by calling 631-852-COPS or the state Department of Environmental Conservation at 631-444-0250. Animal bites should also be reported to the county health department by calling 631-852-4820.