North Carolina health officials advise contact after petting zoo goats test positive for rabies

North Carolina health officials are asking anyone who touched baby goats from the mobile petting zoo Farm Adventures between July 28 and Aug. 27 to get in touch with their local health department to determine whether post-exposure treatment is needed. The Department of Health and Human Services said the goats, which were part of events in several counties, tested positive for rabies at the state laboratory.

Farm Adventures confirmed that four of its baby goats – identified as Molly, Maggie, Cow and Uno – were euthanized after the animals were found to be infected. The company said a skunk entered the pen where the young goats were housed, and the goats were too young to have received rabies vaccinations at the time.

"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 zoo said in a statement.

The agency is notifying organizers of the events where the goats were present and will release additional exposure information as it becomes available. Rabies is a fatal viral disease if untreated, typically transmitted through bites or scratches from infected wildlife such as bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that about 100,000 Americans receive rabies vaccinations each year after potential exposure.