Four baby goats at North Carolina petting zoo test positive for rabies, euthanized
Four infant goats from a mobile petting zoo in Harmony, N.C., were found to have rabies and were put down; health officials urge anyone who may have been exposed to seek evaluation.
Four baby goats at a mobile petting zoo in Harmony, North Carolina, tested positive for rabies and were euthanized, the state Department of Health and Human Services said. The department advised anyone who had contact with the animals at the Farm Adventures site or at its traveling events between July 28 and Thursday to contact local health officials for possible post-exposure treatment.
"The petting zoo held off-site events involving children and elderly individuals across multiple counties within that time frame," the department said.
Health officials will assess whether exposed individuals need further examination or preventive medication, noting that rabies is almost always fatal without treatment. The petting zoo reported that the goats, too young for vaccination, were bitten by a skunk found in their pen, though the bite was not initially noticed and the animals showed no typical symptoms. After the first goat died, its carcass was sent for testing.
The zoo said it is monitoring its remaining animals for signs of the disease and is cooperating with state and local authorities, including the Department of Agriculture and animal control. It added that it is working closely with officials to ensure the safety of its animals and clients.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that skunks are among the wildlife species most commonly infected with rabies, and that transmission to humans can occur through bites, scratches or contact with infected saliva. North Carolina has not recorded a human rabies case since 2011.