Rabies Outbreak at North Carolina Petting Zoo Sparks Health Warning

Health authorities in North Carolina have issued a public warning about possible rabies exposure. This follows the discovery that multiple baby goats at a mobile petting zoo tested positive for the virus.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) reported this outbreak after laboratory results confirmed three baby goats at Farm Adventures in Harmony, Iredell County, were rabies-positive as of August 28. A fourth goat was suspected to be infected, though it was not tested.

How Did It Happen?

According to officials, the goats were probably exposed to rabies in late July. A skunk entered their pen around this time. In a Facebook post, Farm Adventures stated that the baby goats were kept separately and had not received vaccinations.
Farm Adventures described encountering a skunk in the pen, which they quickly removed and disposed of, but not before the skunk bit the goats.
They also stated awareness of the bites only came after the goats showed no symptoms of rabies. “Trust me, if we did, we would not have spent hundreds on vets,” they mentioned. No other animals at the farm are believed to pose a rabies risk to people, and an investigation is underway.

Exposure and Contact Tracing

State and local health departments urge anyone who contacted baby goats at Farm Adventures—at the facility or off-site events between July 28 and August 27—to promptly contact their local health department.
Authorities noted several locations and dates where exposure may have occurred:

• July 28: Jurney’s Assisted Living, Statesville (Iredell County)
• July 30: Private event (Mecklenburg County)
• Aug. 1: Community Connections Back-to-School Bash, Breeden Amphitheater, Lexington (Davidson County)
• Aug. 6: Brookdale Peachtree, Statesville (Iredell County)
• Aug. 8: Private event (Watauga County)
• Aug. 9: Private event (Burke County)
• Aug. 15: Masonic Picnic Grounds, Mocksville (Davie County)
• Aug. 16: Private event (Durham County)
• Aug. 22: Private event (Iredell County)
• Aug. 23: Private event (Durham County)

Health officials advise those who interacted with the goats to consult their health departments or medical providers before visiting urgent care or emergency rooms for appropriate treatment guidance.

What Are the Symptoms of Rabies?

Rabies is a deadly virus targeting the central nervous system. Human cases remain rare in the U.S. North Carolina last saw a human case in 2011, per NCDHHS.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states about 1.4 million Americans seek medical checks for possible exposure annually, with fewer than 10 deaths due to effective prevention strategies.
Wild animals, including raccoons, skunks, and foxes, pose rabies threats to much of the U.S. With skunks deemed a key rabies reservoir in the Midwest and West.

The virus spreads through infected saliva, often from bites or scratches. Symptoms may take weeks or months to manifest. Initial signs resemble flu-like symptoms, including weakness, fever, or headache, frequently accompanied by irritation at the wound site.

The disease can progress in two forms:

• Furious rabies: Causes hyperactivity, hallucinations, hydrophobia, and cardio-respiratory arrest, resulting in death in days.
• Paralytic rabies: Affects roughly 20% of human cases, inducing gradual paralysis starting from the wound and escalating to coma and death.

Despite the danger, rabies is preventable with vaccination or prompt medical care upon exposure, according to the CDC.
Post-exposure prophylaxis, including wound washing, human rabies immune globulin, and rabies vaccine, is highly effective if received soon after exposure. Given the close contact involved in bottle-feeding, cuddling, and handling at petting zoos, direct contact with infected animals is likely.

What Happened to the Infected Goats?

The infected goats, named Molly, Maggie, Cow, and Uno, were euthanized to prevent further virus spread. “We want to be transparent about this distressing event. Our four baby goats have been euthanized to prevent further spread,” Farm Adventures revealed in a Facebook post. “We will closely monitor our remaining animals under health officials’ guidance.”