New York State Department of Health Urges New Yorkers To Prevent Exposure to Rabies During Summer Months

Rabies is Rare in Humans, but Endemic in New York Wildlife

Precautions Include Avoiding Contact with Bats, Raccoons, Foxes and Stray Cats

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 17, 2026) – The New York State Department of Health today announced that county health departments across the state are hosting free and low-cost rabies vaccination clinics throughout the summer. State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald today urged New Yorkers to contact their local health department to find a clinic in their area to help protect pets and their owners from rabies. The list of county health departments is available here.

The Department also released a new video featuring Commissioner McDonald joining a recent free rabies vaccination clinic and offering tips to protect families and their pets from rabies.

"Rabies is almost always fatal, there is no medicine to treat this disease, however it is preventable," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "As New Yorkers spend more time outdoors this summer, it's important to avoid contact with wild and stray animals, keep pets up to date on their rabies vaccinations and seek medical care right away after any bite or possible exposure. If you awaken in a room with a bat, seek medical attention. Taking these simple steps can help protect you, your family and your pets."

Rabies is most commonly seen in wild animals especially raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes and free roaming cats. However, any mammal can be infected, including household pets, like dogs and cats, and other domestic animals such as horses and livestock. The virus is transmitted by infected animals through their saliva and can infect people and animals through a bite, or if the saliva gets into the eyes, nose, mouth or a break in the skin.

Rabies can be transmitted from infected mammals to humans and other mammals, including pets if they are not vaccinated. Animals of all ages can be infected with rabies including very young animals. Rabid animals are present all year round in New York State, but the risk of encountering a rabid animal is much higher in the summer as people spend more time outdoors.

As with all animals, rabies is spread by bats mostly through a bite. Bats have small teeth which may leave marks that may not be easy to see. For this reason, it is important to avoid all contact with bats and to teach children to tell an adult if they have touched a bat. Exposure to a rabid animal does not always result in rabies. If treatment is initiated promptly following rabies exposure, rabies can be prevented. However, if a rabies exposure is not treated and a person develops clinical signs of rabies, the disease almost always results in death.

People who are bitten by an animal should wash the bite and surrounding area thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately. Treatment for rabies should be administered as soon as possible after exposure. Treatment includes a dose of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) and four doses of rabies vaccine administered over a two-week period. Your county health department will help determine when to start rabies treatment.

Rabid animals have been found in all counties in New York. Last year, the Department's Wadsworth Center Rabies Laboratory confirmed rabies in 313 wild and domestic animals.

The Department recommends the following precautions to avoid the risk of rabies infection:

  • Don't feed, touch or adopt wild animals, stray dogs, or stray cats.
  • Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to the local county health department. If possible, do not let any animal escape that has possibly exposed someone to rabies.
  • If you find a bat in your home, contact your local health department before you let it go. Depending on the situation, they may advise capturing the bat so it can be tested for rabies.
  • Be sure pet dogs, cats and ferrets, as well as horses and other livestock animals are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations. Vaccination protects pets if they are exposed to rabid animals.
  • Pets too young to be vaccinated should only be allowed outside under direct observation.
  • Keep family pets indoors at night. Don't leave them outside unattended or let them roam free.
  • Teach children not to touch any animal they do not know and to tell an adult immediately if they are bitten by any animal.
  • Keep property free of stored bird seed or other foods to avoid attracting wild animals. Also, feed pets indoors and cap garbage cans.
  • Cover any openings to the attic, basement, porch or garage, and cap chimneys with screens.
  • Call your local animal control and bring children and pets indoors and alert neighbors who are outside if unusual or aggressive acting wild animals enter the property.
  • Individuals who find animals living in or around parts of their home should consult a nuisance wildlife control expert about removing them.
  • Pet owners should contact the local health department or a veterinarian if their pet has been in a fight with another animal. A rabies booster vaccination may be needed.
  • Please do not attempt to rehabilitate young, sick, or injured animals. There are several licensed wildlife rehabilitators that can be found throughout New York State.

Individuals who are concerned about the potential exposure to rabies without an obvious bite, for example from a bat being in a room with an unattended child or someone with a mental impairment, should contact their county health department immediately to discuss the situation.

Additional information about rabies is available here.