The New York State Department of Health has confirmed four additional cases of rabies found in a raccoon this year in Nassau County. The animals were collected by the Nassau County Department of Health in Roslyn Harbor, Flower Hill, Locust Valley and Hicksville. This brings the total number of rabid raccoons in 2005 to 28 In 2004, ten raccoons were confirmed rabid. (See map.)

Dr. David M. Ackman, Commissioner of Health, said: "Since raccoons can be found throughout Nassau County, it is neither unexpected to find increasing numbers of raccoons with the disease, nor to find the disease migrating across the county." Dr. Ackman is also asking residents to report seeing any animal, especially raccoons or opossums that are ill, dead or acting unusually, to the Nassau County Department of Health at (516) 571-2290. "For the safety of your family, do not attempt to feed or handle any wild or unfamiliar domestic animal," he said. Dr. Ackman also stressed the importance of having your pets vaccinated.

New York State law requires all dogs, cats and domesticated ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies. The Town of North Hempstead is offering a free rabies clinic for all Nassau County residents on Saturday, November 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Town Animal Shelter, 75 Marino Avenue in Port Washington. For additional information about the clinic, residents can call the Animal Shelter at 944-8220.

In 2004, when the first rabid raccoon was discovered in the county, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), along with the Nassau County Department of Health, launched a program in Nassau County to trap and test animals for rabies. They also distributed raccoon rabies vaccine by hand and by helicopter.

This year, the New York State Department of Health and the county are continuing to conduct surveillance and vaccination programs. The goal is to limit or prevent the establishment of terrestrial rabies on Long Island by capturing sick raccoons and vaccinating a substantial percentage of healthy raccoons.

To protect yourself and your loved ones from exposure to rabies, the Health Department recommends:

• Individuals bitten or scratched by any animal should immediately contact their physicians or seek medical help at a hospital emergency room and then call the Nassau County Department of Health.
• Do not feed wildlife or stray animals and discourage them from seeking food near your home.
• Verify that your pets have current rabies vaccinations, including dogs, cats, ferrets, livestock and horses.
• Keep domestic animals (dogs, cats, and ferrets) on a leash when outdoors and keep livestock confined in the evenings.
• Do not touch or have contact with any animal other than your own.
• Do not touch dying or dead animals. If you must move them, use a shovel, wear heavy rubber gloves and double bag the carcass.
• Advise your family against approaching any unknown animal -- wild or domestic -- especially those acting in an unusual way.
• Instruct your children to tell you immediately if they were bitten or scratched by any animal.
• If a bat is found in a room where adults or children were sleeping, or if an adult enters a room and finds a bat with a child, notify the county health department immediately and DO NOT RELEASE THE BAT,
• Keep garbage cans tightly covered and avoid storing any food outside.
• Nuisance wildlife that appears to be healthy or acting normally can be referred to a licensed wildlife trapper for removal.

Rabies is a viral infection that affects the nervous system of raccoons and other mammals, including humans. The disease is almost always fatal once clinical signs of infection occur. Vaccination will greatly decrease the chance of human and domestic animal infection with rabies if they come in contact with rabid raccoons. Rabies is transmitted by the bite of a rabid animal. However, the virus may also be transmitted when the saliva of a rabid animal comes into contact with cut, open, or scratched skin lesions.

For information regarding rabies visit the department website at www.co.nassau.ny.us/health or the state website at www.state.ny.us/nydoh/zoonoses/rabies or call the Nassau County Department of Health at (516) 571-2500 or the New York State Department of Health at (518) 474-3186 weekdays from 9:00 AM - 4:45 PM.