Long Island officials issued a health warning after a rabid raccoon was found on the border of Nassau and Suffolk counties — the fifth case in the region this year alone.
The latest infected creature was found dead in North Amityville on May 6. Before Jan. 28 of this year, Suffolk had not confirmed a rabid raccoon case since 2009, according to the county’s Department of Health.
“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,” health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott said.
“We prepare to conduct an oral rabies vaccine baiting campaign to begin later this year,” Pigott went on. “We encourage residents to continue to remain vigilant and report sick or dead raccoons to us.”
A two-week-long oral bait drop was done in Nassau County, which targeted Amityville’s surrounding areas of Massapequa, Farmingdale and Bethpage.
It also targeted popular wilderness trails like the Massapequa Preserve and Bethpage State Park.
The bait was also placed in Nassau towns near the Queens border.
Prior to the most recent discovery, a rabid raccoon was also discovered in Amityville in April, prompting Pigott to say officials were “very concerned” about the spread.
Suffolk residents who find a dead raccoon in the surrounding towns of Babylon, Huntington, Islip, and Smithtown are encouraged to call the county at 631-852-5900.
