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Raccoon with rabies scratches Manorville resident
Newsday • • health
Key Points:
- A Manorville resident is receiving treatment for possible rabies exposure after being scratched by a raccoon that tested positive for rabies, according to Suffolk County health officials.
- The raccoon, which was believed to have been relocated to the area, is the 31st land mammal found with rabies on Long Island since February 2025, with previous cases mainly in western Suffolk County.
- Rabies cases have increased significantly, with only six rabid raccoons reported in Suffolk County by this time last year, and Nassau County declaring rabies an imminent public health threat last July.
- The Suffolk County Health Department urges anyone who may have handled the raccoon to contact them immediately due to the significant health risk, emphasizing that rabies is fatal if untreated but preventable with prompt vaccination.
- Residents are advised not to touch or move wild animals and to report any raccoons exhibiting abnormal behavior to local authorities.
