North Carolina warns mobile petting zoo visitors of rabies exposure after baby goats test positive

Health officials in North Carolina are warning people who came into contact with baby goats at a mobile petting zoo to contact their local health department after multiple animals tested positive for rabies and may have interacted with visitors while infectious.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) said the infected goats were from Farm Adventures, a mobile petting zoo based in Harmony, North Carolina, that attended off-site events across multiple counties.

Anyone who had contact with baby goats from Farm Adventures, either at its Harmony location or at an off-site event between July 28 and Aug. 27, should contact their local health department to determine whether medication is needed to prevent infection, according to NCDHHS.

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During that period, NCDHHS said Farm Adventures held off-site events involving children and elderly individuals across multiple counties. Organizers of those events are being notified, the agency said, adding that the investigation remains ongoing and additional information about potential exposure locations will be released when available.

In a Facebook statement, Farm Adventures said four of its baby goats had contracted rabies and that the animals had been euthanized to prevent further spread.

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The petting zoo identified the goats as Molly, Maggie, Cow and Uno.

"We are working closely with public health officials, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and animal control to address this issue and ensure the safety of our animals and clients," Farm Adventures said.

According to Farm Adventures, the baby goats were housed in a separate pen away from the other animals at the petting zoo.

The four goats were too young to receive their vaccinations when a skunk entered their pen, according to Farm Adventures.

The petting zoo said the skunk was removed but that it did not realize the goats had been bitten.

"They showed no sign or symptoms of rabies," Farm Adventures said.

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Farm Adventures said one of the animals was ultimately sent for a necropsy after its veterinarian investigated what was happening. State health officials said several goats tested positive for rabies at the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health.

"These past few days have been incredibly difficult for us," Farm Adventures said.

Rabies is a viral disease that is deadly if people do not receive medical care before symptoms begin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The virus primarily spreads through bites or scratches from an infected animal. Bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes are the animals most frequently found with rabies in the U.S., according to the CDC.

The CDC said roughly 100,000 Americans receive rabies vaccinations following a potential exposure each year.

Human rabies infections are extremely rare in the U.S., and no human cases have been reported in North Carolina since 2011, according to NCDHHS.