North Carolina health officials have issued an urgent warning for anyone who touched baby goats at a mobile petting zoo to contact their local health department immediately.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) confirmed that several goats from Farm Adventures, a mobile petting zoo based in Harmony, North Carolina, tested positive for rabies after being exposed to an infected skunk. The animals had appeared at off-site events across multiple counties between July 28 and Aug. 27, interacting with children and elderly individuals.
Anyone who had contact with baby goats from Farm Adventures during that month-long window, either at the Harmony location or at any off-site event, should reach out to their local health department to determine whether preventive medication is needed, according to NCDHHS. Organizers of the affected events are being notified, and the agency stated that the investigation remains ongoing with additional exposure locations to be released.
In a Facebook statement, Farm Adventures identified the infected animals as Molly, Maggie, Cow and Uno. The petting zoo said all four had been euthanized to prevent further spread of the virus.
The baby goats were housed in a separate pen away from other animals at the petting zoo, according to Farm Adventures. The four were too young to have received their vaccinations when a skunk entered their enclosure. While the skunk was removed, the petting zoo was not aware that the goats had been bitten.
“They showed no sign or symptoms of rabies,” Farm Adventures said.
The outbreak was discovered after one of the animals was sent for a necropsy following a veterinary investigation, according to the petting zoo. State health officials then confirmed 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.
“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,” the petting zoo added in its Facebook statement.
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. 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 US.
The CDC estimates roughly 100,000 Americans receive rabies vaccinations following potential exposure each year. Human rabies infections are extremely rare in the US, and no human cases have been reported in North Carolina since 2011, according to NCDHHS.
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