Following two feral cats and a raccoon testing positive for rabies, the Nassau County Department of Health announced a partnership with two townships to host free pet vaccination clinics.
On Friday, the Nassau County Department of Health said a feral cat and a raccoon, both collected in Valley Stream, tested positive for rabies. A month prior on July 25, the health department announced a feral cat collected in Cedarhurst also tested positive for the disease.
To protect house pets and prevent spreading the disease, the health department said all Nassau residents are welcome to vaccinate their pets for free at one of two pop-up clinics — the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter on Saturday and the Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter on Saturday, Sept. 14. Both facilities will offer rabies vaccinations for dogs, which must be leashed, as well as cats and ferrets, both of which must be in enclosed containers, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to a Nassau County Department of Health news release.
Health officials recommend that dogs, cats, and ferrets older than four months receive their first two shots one year apart and additional booster shots every three years thereafter.
In addition to keeping their pets up-to-date on their shots, residents should avoid feeding and contact with wild or feral animals, keep their pets indoors at night and avoid touching dying or dead animals without safety precautions, such as using a shovel and heavy rubber gloves, health officials said.
According to the release, rabies is a viral disease that is spread to humans and pets primarily through bites, scratches or salivary contact from an infected animal. Last month, Newsday reported that rabies cases have been rare in Nassau County in recent years. Since 2018, Nassau health officials only detected cases of rabies in two bats.
Virtually all of the rabies cases on Long Island since 2016 have been detected in bats. So far this year, Suffolk County has confirmed rabies cases in at least three bats.
Nassau County health officials will also “distribute rabies vaccine bait in Nassau County as a preventive measure to control rabies among wild animals,” according to the news release.
Anyone bitten or scratched by any animal is urged to seek immediate medical care and then call the Nassau County Department of Health at 516-227-9663, or 516-742-6154 after hours. Residents should similarly report if their pets have been scratched or bitten. Dead, sick or abnormal acting animals can be reported to rabies@nassaucountyny.gov for possible collection and rabies testing.
