The Suffolk County Department of Health says a stray cat found in Deer Park has tested positive for rabies. This is the first confirmed case of locally acquired terrestrial rabies in a feral cat and the 12th case in wildlife in the county.

 As News 12 has reported 11 raccoons tested positive for the virus this year. Rabies is a viral disease transmitted from infected mammals to humans. Left untreated, it can lead to death.  Early symptoms include irritability, headache, fever, and sometimes itching at the site of exposure. Within days, the disease progresses to paralysis, spasms of the throat muscles, convulsions, delirium, and death.

Health officials are working with the USDA, to conduct a Racoon Rabies Control Program which comprises enhanced surveillance of the raccoon population to identify areas where the disease may be present. They're also distributing oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits in the Towns of Babylon, Huntington, Smithtown, and Islip to prevent the spread of rabies. The baits contain a vaccine that, when consumed by a raccoon, will vaccinate the animal against the rabies virus. The goal of the Racoon Rabies Control Program is containment and elimination of terrestrial rabies in local wild animal populations.