North Carolina health officials launch rabies exposure response after petting-zoo goats test positive

Three baby goats used in a mobile petting-zoo exhibit in North Carolina tested positive for rabies, leading the state Department of Health and Human Services to initiate a statewide effort to identify all individuals who may have been exposed. The goats, along with a fourth animal suspected of infection, were euthanized after the outbreak was discovered.

The animals had been part of a traveling exhibit that visited a dinosaur-themed event in Mocksville on Aug. 15, as well as private parties, a back-to-school gathering and an assisted-living center between July 28 and Aug. 23. A 4-year-old boy who fed the goats was later taken to a medical facility, where he received the first two doses of the rabies post-exposure prophylaxis series, which requires six injections to be fully effective.

State officials explained that rabies can be transmitted through contact with saliva, scratches or bites from an infected animal, and that symptoms may appear weeks to months after exposure, initially resembling flu-like illness. The health department said it is coordinating with local health agencies and health-care providers to ensure the vaccine is available to anyone deemed at risk.

Farm Adventures, the company operating the mobile petting zoo, did not respond to requests for comment. A post on its Facebook page indicated that the goats, too young to be vaccinated, were likely infected after a skunk entered their pen; skunks, bats, raccoons and foxes are common rabies carriers.

"We are working with local health departments and healthcare systems to make sure rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is available to anyone who needs it," the department said.