WHEREAS, beginning in July 2024 and continuing to date there have been at least twenty-five (25) animal specimens, specifically raccoons and feral cats collected in Nassau County which have tested positive for the rabies virus; and,
WHEREAS, Rabies is a viral infection that affects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) of raccoons and other mammals, which can be spread to humans an pets primarily through bites, scratches, or salivary contact from an infected animal; and,
WHEREAS, Rabies threatens the health and welfare of all Nassau County residents since rabies is always fatal once clinical signs o infection occur; and,
WHEREAS Surveillance has shown that terrestrial rabies, previously eradicated back in 2016 in Nassau County as a result o aggressive intervention measures, has returned an has spread to essentially all quadrants of Nassau County; and,
WHEREAS an aggressive rabies control and prevention program in densely populated Nassau County is required to control the spread of rabies among terrestrial wild, feral and domesticated animals for the purposes of rabies vaccination as well as to conduct an effective raccoon rabies baiting program for the eradication of rabies.
NOW, THEREFORE, I Irina Gelman, DPM, PhD, MPH, Commissioner of Health for the County of Nassau, State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me under the Public Health Laws and Public Health Regulations of the State of New York, do hereby declare the spread of Terrestrial Rabies in Nassau County an Imminent Public Health Threat to the residents of Nassau County.
Irina Gelman DPM, PhD, MPH
Nassau County Commissioner of Health
Dated July 18, 2025
Mineola, New York
Original Declaration