Report all animal bites

or contact with wild animals to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services

(631) 854-0333

Weekdays, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Rabies, a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system, is most often seen among wild animals such as raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes, but any mammal can be infected with rabies. Pets and livestock can get rabies if they are not vaccinated to protect them against infection.

In Suffolk County, three to six percent of the bats that are tested annually test positive for rabies. In 2017, one river otter tested positive for rabies.

New York State and Suffolk County laws require that all dogs, cats, and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies. Vaccinating pets not only provides protection for the animals but also acts as a barrier to keep the rabies virus from spreading between wild animals and people.

Rabies in Suffolk County

2016 - 1 bat
2017 - 6 bats and 1 otter
2018 - 3 bats
2019 - 0
2020 - 2 bats
2021 - 3 bats
2022 - 4 bats
2023 - 1 bat
2024 – 3 bats

Precautions to protect your pets and your family from possible exposure to rabies:

• Do not feed, touch, or approach wild animals, or stray dogs or cats.
• Be sure your pet dogs, cats, and ferrets as well as horses and other livestock animals are up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
• Pets that are too young to be vaccinated should be kept indoors and allowed outside only under direct observation.
• Keep family pets indoors at night. Do not leave pets outside unattended or let them roam free.
• Do not attract wild animals to your home or yard. Keep your property free of stored birdseed or other foods that may attract wild animals.
• Feed pets indoors. Tightly cover or put away garbage cans. Board up any openings to your attic, basement, porch, or garage. Cap your chimney with screens.
• Do not transport or relocate any wild animals.
• Teach children not to touch any animal they do not know and to tell an adult immediately if they are bitten by any animal.

To keep bats from entering buildings:

• Make sure windows have screens, chimneys are capped, and electrical and plumbing openings are plugged.
• Do not leaving unscreened doors or windows open to the outside.
• Seal all openings larger than one-half inch. Use materials such as expanding spray-on foam, caulk, wire mesh, wood that fits tightly, steel wool (around pipes that enter buildings), or polypropylene bird netting, to seal or cover gaps and holes.

Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services at (631) 854-0333 weekdays, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Outside of normal business hours, report animal bites or contact with wild animals to the department at (631) 852-4820. If possible, contain the animal so that it can be tested.

For more information on rabies, visit the New York State Department of Health website at https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/rabies/fact_sheet.htm, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/.