4 baby goats test positive for rabies at petting zoo in North Carolina
Health officials said the goats were 'most likely exposed to rabies by a skunk that had entered the pen where they were kept in late July.'
Four baby goats tested positive for rabies and were euthanized after a visit to a mobile petting zoo in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The goats were most likely exposed to the rabies virus by a skunk that entered their enclosure in late July. Health officials are urging individuals who visited the zoo between July 28 and August 27 to contact their healthcare providers to discuss potential preventative medications.
The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health confirmed the presence of the rabies virus in three of the baby goats on August 28, with the fourth goat presumed to be infected due to lack of testing. No other animals on the farm pose a risk of rabies exposure to visitors. Event organizers are notifying attendees who may have been in contact with the infected goats at 10 events.
The owner of Farm Adventures Mobile Petting Zoo, Misty Love, expressed devastation over the positive rabies tests, stating that her animals were the most important aspect of her life. Symptoms of rabies may initially resemble flu-like symptoms, progressing to fever, headache, nausea, confusion, and difficulty swallowing.
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