Officers on Lengthy Island are elevating concern amid a spike in animals testing optimistic for rabies, and are pinning at the very least a few of the blame for that rise on New York Metropolis.
On Thursday, Nassau County Well being Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman stated eight rabid raccoons and feral cats had been discovered since July in communities stretching from Cedarhurst to Massapequa Park. That comes after no animal had examined optimistic for rabies within the county since 2016.
“We want to raise awareness, not alarm,” stated Dr. Gelman.
In a single latest case, a Massapequa Park resident was bitten by an contaminated animal.
“That was a rabid raccoon in a garbage can, I believe that jumped out prior to New Year’s [Day]. The resident was bitten and scratched,” the commissioner stated.
Dr. Gelman stated greater than 500 individuals in 2024 had been bitten, scratched or got here in shut contact with a presumably rabid animal. Thankfully, there have been no human rabies instances.
Frank Floridia, an animal rescuer on Lengthy Island, known as on residents to control their pets and instantly report any wild creatures that don’t look properly.
“Everybody has to take extreme precautions. Everybody has to be worried about the situation. It’s life-threatening,” stated Floridia. “It’s pretty scary that rabies is back on Long Island.”
He stated residents ought to control their pets and instantly report any wild animals that look sick or unwell.
So what has sparked the sudden rise in rabies instances? Nassau County stated it’s partially because of NYC’s failure in 2024 to bait for rabid animals alongside the Queens-Nassau border. Metropolis officers didn’t instantly reply to that declare, however the county well being commissioner stated they’re speaking with metropolis well being officers to assault the issue.
