Potential rabies exposures linked to baby goats at NC mobile petting zoo: NCDHHS
Sun, August 30, 2026 at 7:07 PM
FILE – A rabies vaccine. (Photo credit: SBG)
RALEIGH, N.C. (WLOS) —North Carolina health officials are warning people who may have come into contact with baby goats at a mobile petting zoo that they could have been exposed to rabies
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the affected animals were part of Farm Adventures, a mobile petting zoo based in Harmony
The state was notified Aug. 27 about a potential rabies exposure involving four baby goats. Officials said the goats were most likely exposed to rabies by a skunk that entered their pen in late July
On Aug. 28, the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health confirmed rabies virus in three of the goats. A fourth goat was not tested but is also assumed to have been infected
Officials said no other animals at the farm pose a risk of rabies exposure to people
Where people may have been exposed
Anyone who had contact with the baby goats at Farm Adventures’ Harmony location or at an off-site event between July 28 and Aug. 27 may have been exposed while the animals were infectious, NCDHHS said
The department identified these potential exposure locations:
- July 28: Jurney’s Assisted Living in Statesville
- July 30: Private event in Mecklenburg County
- Aug. 1: Community Connections Back-to-School Bash at Breeden Amphitheater, in Lexington
- Aug. 6: Brookdale Peachtree in Statesville
- Aug. 8: Private event in Watauga County
- Aug. 9: Private event in Burke County
- Aug. 15: Masonic Picnic Grounds in Mocksville
- Aug. 16: Private event in Durham County
- Aug. 22: Private event in Iredell County
- Aug. 23: Private event in Durham County
Public health officials are working with event organizers to notify people who may have had contact with the infected goats
The investigation is ongoing, and NCDHHS said additional potential exposure locations may be released as more information becomes available
NORTH CAROLINA TEEN CRITICALLY ILL AFTER CONTRACTING RARE ‘BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA’ INFECTION
What to do if you had contact with the goats
Anyone who believes they may have had direct contact with the affected goats should contact their local health department to determine whether you need medicine to prevent rabies infection
People who believe they may have been exposed should contact theirlocal health department for guidance. Health officials recommend calling before going to an emergency department or urgent care clinic to determine whether treatment is needed and where it can be provided
Rabies can spread when infected saliva comes into contact with a bite, scratch, broken skin or mucous membranes. While rabies transmission from livestock is less common than transmission through bites from wild animals, officials said exposure is still possible through the saliva of an infected animal
Baby goats are often bottle-fed, handled closely or cuddled, prompting health officials to proactively evaluate people who had direct contact with the animals
POTENTIAL MEASLES EXPOSURE REPORTED AT ASHEVILLE HOTEL, NCDHHS SAYS
Rabies symptoms
Rabies is almost always fatal in mammals, including humans, once symptoms develop. However, medication given before symptoms appear can prevent infection from progressing
Symptoms can begin weeks to months after exposure and may initially include:
- Weakness
- Fever
- Headache
- A prickling or itching sensation where the person was bitten or exposed
Human rabies infections are extremely rare in America. North Carolina has not reported a human rabies case since 2011
Click here for more information from NCDHHS
