NEW YORK — Health authorities are urging New York City residents to stay away from wild animals after an increase in detected rabies infections across several boroughs, driven primarily by raccoons.
City and state monitoring indicates that animal rabies cases have climbed sharply compared to previous years. According to state figures cited by FOX Weather, 34 animal rabies cases have been documented across the city so far in 2026, up from 22 confirmed positive cases throughout 2025. Raccoons make up 26 of those 34 cases, FOX Weather reported.
New York City data reported by the New York Post shows the 26 rabid raccoon cases represent a 30 percent increase over all of last year and more than 12 times the total recorded in 2024. The infections have been confirmed in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, while Manhattan has recorded zero raccoon cases this year.
Infections Shift Into New Neighborhoods
Health officials noted that while rabies waves can be cyclical, the virus has moved into neighborhoods where it was once rarely detected. Sally Slavinski, director of the Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Disease Unit at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, told the New York Post that rabid raccoons were historically uncommon in Queens or Brooklyn. That pattern shifted in 2022 and 2023, when clusters emerged in Queens near the Nassau County border before expanding into Brooklyn and Long Island, according to Slavinski.
Staten Island has emerged as a significant local hotspot, recording 15 total rabid animals this year, including 12 raccoons and three skunks, FOX Weather reported. The New York Post reported that neighboring Suffolk County on Long Island has also confirmed 32 animal cases this year, 31 of which were raccoons. In late September, two Suffolk County residents underwent preventive post-exposure rabies shots after their dogs interacted with raccoons that tested positive, according to the outlet.
Rabies is transmitted primarily through saliva, often via bites or scratches. According to the World Health Organization, the viral infection attacks the central nervous system and is virtually 100 percent fatal once clinical symptoms emerge. While pop culture often portrays rabid creatures as violently foaming at the mouth, Slavinski told the New York Post that infected raccoons more commonly exhibit disorientation, weakness, and progressive paralysis, though early-stage aggression can occur.
Vaccine Drops and Preventive Measures
To control the virus without attempting widespread trapping, public health workers use an oral wildlife vaccine packaged in fishmeal baits. In autumn, teams place the baits inside specialized bait stations in public parks, scatter them on the ground, or drop them from helicopters over heavily wooded sections of Staten Island, the New York Post reported. Slavinski credited a similar targeted baiting initiative in 2010 with wiping out raccoon rabies in Manhattan's Central Park.
Still, officials warn that city living creates ample food sources that draw wild mammals close to homes. The city health department has advised residents to keep outdoor trash cans tightly covered and to avoid leaving pet food outside, which can congregate raccoons and accelerate disease transmission. Officials also stress that domestic pets must be kept up to date on rabies vaccinations, as pets can contract the virus and subsequently expose their owners.
What remains uncertain is the exact driving force behind this year's surge. Slavinski told the New York Post that potential factors include dense raccoon populations offering more opportunities for transmission, natural movements into unprotected animal populations, or unintentional human relocation of trapped animals. Health officials say eradication remains unlikely in the near term, meaning vigilance, wildlife vaccination programs, and public reporting of sick animals to 311 or 911 will remain the primary defenses.
