You are reading

Seven Raccoons Found With Rabies in Queens, Health Dept. Starts Vaccine Drop

The city started an initiative Monday to vaccinate raccoons against rabies (Photo: Rhodo Dendrites CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sept. 13, 2022 By Czarinna Andres

The city has launched an initiative to vaccinate raccoons against rabies.

The Dept. of Health, the Parks Dept. and wildlife biologists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture began distributing individual baits Monday containing an oral rabies vaccine in wooded areas in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island. The campaign will last until mid-October.

The initiative comes in response to 18 animals across the city having been tested positive for rabies this year. Of the 18, seven have been raccoons found in Queens.

The locations where raccoons were found in Queens that tested positive for rabies

The city is advising residents to avoid racoons given the rabies danger. In New York City, rabies is mostly found in raccoons.

“New Yorkers should be advised — if you see a raccoon, give them space, and never approach or try to feed them,” said Sarah Aucoin, Chief of Education & Wildlife for NYC Parks.

The baits are being distributed with the goal of eliminating the virus. The baits are small and brown, and fish scented, according to the Dept. of Health. They resemble a ketchup packet, which conceals a small amount of pink, liquid vaccine. Raccoons are attracted to the odor, and when raccoons chew the bait, they can become immunized, protecting them against rabies infection.

The bait itself does not harm people, officials say, but in extremely rare instances, exposure to the liquid may cause a rash.

In the unlikely event someone comes in contact with the liquid, they are advised to wash their hands with warm, soapy water, talk to their doctor, and notify the NYC Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.

The bait is not harmful to pets and cannot cause rabies, but it can cause vomiting if several baits are consumed, officials say.

Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten by a rabid animal. The disease is rare—with the last human case of rabies in New York City reported in 1947, according to the Health Dept. website. No dogs have tested positive for over 60 years.

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system. If a person or pet does not receive the appropriate medical care after a potential rabies exposure, the virus can cause disease in the brain, ultimately resulting in death. Rabies can be prevented by vaccinating pets, staying away from wildlife, and seeking medical care after potential exposures before symptoms start.

For more information about rabies in New York City, visit www.nyc.gov/health/rabies.

 

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade honors fallen heroes

May. 30, 2023 By Gabriele Holtermann

Rain or shine, the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade, touted as the largest Memorial Day parade in the United States, has been a staple of the quaint Queens neighborhoods since 1927. Thousands lined the parade route under clear blue sky along Northern Boulevard from Jayson Avenue in Great Neck to 245th Street in Douglaston on May 29 to honor the brave men and women who answered their call to service and made the ultimate sacrifice while defending their country.

New York Hall of Science awarded federal funding for project on artificial intelligence

New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) will play a key role in the future of artificial and natural intelligence after U.S. Rep. Grace Meng announced that the institution in Flushing Meadows Corona Park has been awarded nearly a half-million dollars in federal funding from the National Science Foundation over the next five years.

NYSCI will be part of a $20 million initiative led by Columbia University to establish an AI Institute for Artificial and Natural Intelligence (ARNI), an interdisciplinary center that will bring together several top research institutions to focus on a national priority: connecting the major progress made in AI systems to the revolution in understanding the brain.