The Nassau County Department of Health (NCDOH) will begin distributing oral rabies vaccine baits to curb the spread of rabies among wildlife in the county. This initiative follows recent reports of rabies in two feral cats and one raccoon in the southwestern part of Nassau County.
The bait, designed to attract raccoons, contains a vaccine packet that immunizes the animals once consumed. Distribution of the vaccine baits is planned for September 23-27, 2024, weather permitting. Baits will be placed in areas frequented by raccoons, including wooded regions, streambeds, storm drains, and other typical raccoon habitats, within the communities of Cedarhurst, Hewlett, Inwood, Lawrence, Valley Stream, and Woodmere.
The program aims to prevent further transmission among wildlife and safeguard residents.
The NCDOH recommends:
- To avoid inadvertent contact with the baits, supervise children’s outdoor activities both during and for approximately one week following the bait distribution.
- Keep all dogs and cats indoors or on leashes during the bait distribution and for about a week afterwards. This will allow raccoons to eat the vaccine-laden baits and become immunized and will decrease the chance of pets eating the baits.
- The baits are not harmful to dogs or cats, but a pet may vomit if they eat a large number of them. Do not try to remove a packet from an animal’s mouth.
- Call the Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222 immediately in the unlikely event that a child bites through the packet and ingests the liquid or if anyone has direct contact with the bait.Call if you have seen your pet with bait in its mouth.
- Wash hands immediately after bare-hand contact with the bait, even if the bait is intact, and then call Poison Control Center. The bait packet itself will not harm anyone.
- If residents find bait near their homes, but not in the open, leave it alone. The bait packets have a strong fishmeal smell that is not attractive to people or to most other animals.
- If the bait is intact and out in the open where pets or children are more likely to encounter it, toss it into deeper cover under trees or bushes while wearing gloves or using a plastic bag.
- Residents who see raccoons should NOT try to trap the raccoons themselves. Call a licensed trapper.
For additional information regarding rabies and the baiting program, including distribution map and photo of the bait, visit the Department’s rabies website here: Rabies & Animal Bites | Nassau County, NY – Official Website (nassaucountyny.gov).