Rabies found in baby goats at N.C. mobile petting zoo; attendees urged to contact health officials
Health officials in North Carolina are urging anyone who came into contact with baby goats at a mobile petting zoo in recent weeks to contact their local health department after several animals tested positive for rabies.
The goats were part of Farm Adventures, a traveling petting zoo based in Iredell County that books events throughout the area. County officials said the owner has cooperated with the investigation, and they stressed that the risk is not widespread.
“There is not a broad risk to the public — only those who attended events at the mobile petting zoo and were in close contact with the goats are at risk,” officials said in a statement, adding that residents should call for a rabies risk assessment and potential treatment.
“Residents should not wait for symptoms before calling,” Mecklenburg County Health Director Dr. Kimberly Scott said.
Exposure may have occurred between July 28 and Aug. 27 at the zoo's location in Harmony or at off-site events, according to local officials. Among the known public events, the goats appeared at the Masonic Picnic in Mocksville on Aug. 15, at a private event near Hickory on Aug. 9, and at the Breeden Amphitheater in Lexington on Aug. 1, county health officials confirmed.
Farm Adventures said the four affected goats — Molly, Maggie, Cow and Uno — were euthanized and that remaining animals are being monitored under guidance from health officials. In a Facebook post, the company said the goats were kept in a separate pen because they were too young for vaccinations. A skunk apparently got into the pen and bit them, but the zoo said it had “no clue” at the time because the animals showed no signs of rabies. A necropsy later confirmed the infection.
“RIP Molly, Maggie, Cow and Uno,” the post said.
The episode highlights the challenge of detecting rabies in young livestock and the need for quick action after a potential exposure. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms develop, but it can be effectively prevented with prompt treatment.
Although human rabies cases are rare in the U.S., with fewer than 10 deaths reported each year, according to the CDC, the disease continues to pose a serious health threat. It is caused by a virus that spreads mainly through saliva, usually via an animal bite. Scratches or contact with mucosa can also transmit the virus.
The virus attacks the central nervous system, leading to inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The incubation period can last from weeks to months, and symptoms often begin with fever, headache and body aches, sometimes along with a prickling sensation at the bite site. Once symptoms appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, health officials said.
Post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, is highly effective if given soon after exposure, so officials are urging anyone who may have had close contact with the goats not to wait for symptoms before calling.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the cases remain under investigation and that additional details about potential exposure locations at public events would be released when available.