The Nassau County Department of Health has announced plans to distribute oral rabies vaccine baits throughout the county as part of efforts to control the spread of rabies among local wildlife. The initiative, known as the Raccoon Rabies Control Program, is scheduled to take place from October 6 through October 27, 2025, weather permitting.
Health department staff will distribute the baits in areas where raccoons are commonly found, such as wooded regions, streambeds, storm drains, and other likely habitats. The bait consists of a small brown cube made from fishmeal with a plastic pouch inside that contains liquid rabies vaccine. When raccoons bite into the bait, they receive an oral dose of the vaccine.
“Rabies has been detected in raccoons and feral cats in Nassau County, with the cats testing positive for a strain typically found in raccoons. The program’s efforts aim to prevent further transmission among wildlife, and protect residents and pets,” according to officials from the health department.
Staff will hand-place these baits from slow-moving trucks directly into environments frequented by raccoons. This approach is designed so that when a raccoon consumes the bait, it becomes immunized against rabies after absorbing the vaccine through its mouth tissues.
The distribution comes after recent cases where both raccoons and feral cats tested positive for rabies within Nassau County. These measures are intended to reduce risks posed by wildlife-borne diseases to both animals and humans in the area.
