North Carolina warns petting zoo visitors of rabies exposure after baby goats test positive

Key Points:

• North Carolina health officials are urging anyone who touched baby goats from Farm Adventures, a mobile petting zoo, between July 28 and August 27 to contact their local health department due to several goats testing positive for rabies.
• Four baby goats named Molly, Maggie, Cow, and Uno were euthanized after testing positive for rabies; they were too young to be vaccinated and were exposed to a skunk that entered their pen.
• Farm Adventures is cooperating with public health officials, the Department of Agriculture, and animal control to manage the situation, and organizers of off-site events involving children and elderly individuals across multiple counties are being notified.
• Rabies is a deadly viral disease transmitted mainly through bites or scratches from infected animals, and prompt medical treatment is critical before symptoms appear; the CDC reports about 100,000 Americans receive rabies vaccinations annually after potential exposures.
• The investigation is ongoing, and additional information about potential exposure locations will be released as it becomes available.