Two more raccoons found in Bay Shore and Babylon have tested positive for rabies, Suffolk County health officials announced Friday, pushing the county’s running total of confirmed terrestrial rabies cases to 44 since the outbreak began in February 2025.
The Suffolk County Department of Health Services said it was notified of the positive lab results on Sept. 11 by the Wadsworth Center at the New York State Department of Health. Suffolk County Police Department Emergency Service Section officers located the Babylon raccoon and transported it for testing.
One resident exposed, no other reported contact
A Babylon resident came into contact with an ill raccoon on Sept. 9, sought medical care afterward, and remains in good health, health officials said. No other human or pet exposures were reported in connection with either of the two new cases.
Health officials reiterated their standing guidance urging residents never to touch, feed or attempt to move wild animals under any circumstances. Anyone who spots a raccoon or other wildlife behaving abnormally, including stumbling, approaching people without provocation, or being active during daylight hours, is asked to call the Suffolk County Police Department’s non-emergency line at 631-852-COPS or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at 631-444-0250.
How rabies spreads and why it’s dangerous
Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, typically through a bite or scratch. Left untreated following exposure, the disease is nearly always fatal in humans, though a course of post-exposure treatment is highly effective when administered promptly after potential exposure.
Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott has previously emphasized that the county had gone years without significant terrestrial rabies activity before the current outbreak began, noting increased opportunities for human-wildlife interaction as a contributing factor to the spread. “People are outside more. They’re walking around, gathering, and they have their pets outside. It’s more opportunity to interact with wildlife,” Pigott has said regarding the broader rise in cases across the county.
A steadily climbing case count since early 2025
Friday’s announcement continues a pattern of steadily accumulating cases that has defined Suffolk County’s rabies response for more than a year and a half. The outbreak, which health officials say marked the county’s first significant resurgence of terrestrial rabies in years, began in the Amityville area along the Nassau County border in early 2025 before gradually spreading to additional towns across the county, including Islip, Babylon, Huntington and Smithtown.
The case count has climbed steadily throughout that period, moving from a handful of confirmed animals in the outbreak’s earliest weeks to 39 cases by late August, and now to 44 as of this week’s announcement. Health officials have consistently urged residents to remain vigilant as the total has grown, particularly given how easily the disease can spread among the county’s dense raccoon population.
County’s vaccination effort targets wildlife directly
To help slow or stop the spread, Suffolk County has been conducting an oral rabies vaccination program, distributing wildlife baits throughout the towns of Babylon, Huntington, Smithtown and Islip from Sept. 8 through Oct. 1. The baits contain a vaccine that confers immunity to the disease once consumed by a raccoon, offering a method of reaching wild animal populations that cannot otherwise be directly treated.
County officials have described the distribution as a proactive measure aimed at containing the outbreak before it spreads further. In announcing the county’s broader vaccination strategy earlier this year, County Executive Ed Romaine framed the effort as a matter of public safety. “The safety of our residents is of vital importance, which is why we launched the Suffolk County Raccoon Rabies Control Program pre-emptively,” Romaine said.
Officials have said the distribution locations were selected specifically to form a containment ring around areas where the disease has already been confirmed, with the goal of preventing rabies from spreading into additional, previously unaffected parts of the county.
Additional protections for pets
Beyond the wildlife vaccination baits, the county has also moved to shore up protection among domestic animals. On Sept. 12, county officials announced free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets. Pet vaccination against rabies is required by law in New York, in part because domestic animals can serve as an additional vector for transmitting the disease to humans if exposed to infected wildlife.
Health officials have specifically flagged the risk posed by bats, which can occasionally come into contact with people and transmit the disease directly. According to county data, between 3% and 6% of bats tested in Suffolk County each year are found to carry rabies, underscoring the importance of keeping pet vaccinations current even outside the context of the current raccoon-focused outbreak.
What residents should do
Residents with pets are urged to confirm that their animals’ rabies vaccinations remain current, particularly given the county’s active outbreak status. Anyone who believes they or an animal has been exposed to a potentially rabid animal is advised to seek medical care immediately and then contact local health authorities to report the exposure.
With the vaccination bait distribution program continuing through Oct. 1 and case counts still climbing, Suffolk County health officials have indicated they will continue monitoring the outbreak closely, with additional public updates expected as new cases are confirmed by state laboratory testing in the weeks ahead.
