Two more raccoons found in Bay Shore and Babylon have tested positive for rabies, Suffolk County health officials announced Friday, pushing the county's running total of confirmed terrestrial rabies cases to 44 since the outbreak began in February 2025.

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services said it was notified of the positive lab results on Sept. 11 by the Wadsworth Center at the New York State Department of Health. Suffolk County Police Department Emergency Service Section officers located the Babylon raccoon and transported it for testing.

One resident exposed, no other reported contact

A Babylon resident came into contact with an ill raccoon on Sept. 9, sought medical care afterward, and remains in good health, health officials said. No other human or pet exposures were reported in connection with either of the two new cases.

Health officials reiterated their standing guidance urging residents never to touch, feed or attempt to move wild animals under any circumstances. Anyone who spots a raccoon or other wildlife behaving abnormally, including stumbling, approaching people without provocation, or being active during daylight hours, is asked to call the Suffolk County Police Department's non-emergency line at 631-852-COPS or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at 631-444-0250.

How rabies spreads and why it's dangerous

Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal,........

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