Another rabid raccoon reported Friday in Nassau has added to the spike in rabies cases on Long Island that has health officials concerned about the spread of the potentially fatal disease.

In July, Nassau County officials declared rabies an " imminent public health threat ," warning residents to protect their pets and stay away from wild animals.

Including the rabid raccoon reported Friday, there were 23 reported rabies cases for 2025 in Nassau — 22 raccoons and one cat, health department spokesperson Alyssa Zohrabian said. In 2024, four raccoons and two cats tested positive. Health officials did not specify where in Nassau the latest case had been reported from.

Before this recent spike, there hadn't been a rabies case in Nassau since last summer, and, before that, none since 2016.

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