Baby goats with rabies at North Carolina mobile petting zoo prompt calls across multiple counties to contact health officials

By Ray Sanchez, CNN

(CNN) — Multiple baby goats at a mobile petting zoo in North Carolina were infected with rabies, and authorities are asking anyone who had contact with the animals to reach out to health officials about potential exposure to the rare but deadly virus.

Residents in western North Carolina may have been exposed to the infected goats from Farm Adventures at the mobile petting zoo’s location in Harmony or at off-site events between July 28 and August 27, local officials said in a statement. The state has not reported human cases of the virus since 2011.

Exposure may have happened at 10 locations, including an assisted living facility and back-to-school bash, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said. Those affected are urged to contact their local health department to determine whether they need medication to prevent infection.

The goats were most likely exposed to rabies by a skunk that had entered their pen in late July, according to the state health department, which was first notified of the rabies exposure on Thursday.

Lab testing found the virus in three of the baby goats, and a fourth is also assumed to have been infected, state officials said.

Farm Adventures is based in Iredell County and books events in surrounding communities, and officials say the owner has been cooperating with the investigation.

“There is not a broad risk to the public — only those who attended events at the mobile petting zoo and were in close contact with the goats are at risk,” officials said.

“Residents should not wait for symptoms before calling,” Mecklenburg County Health Director Kimberly Scott said.

Scott told CNN a coordinated statewide investigation is still seeking “specifics on total reach across counties and total number of people impacted.” Communicable disease teams across multiple counties are alerting the public and working with the petting zoo to contact event organizers.

She said healthcare systems appear to have enough postexposure prophylaxis (PEP), the typical rabies treatment, available, and officials are “positioned to acquire access to more as needed as we learn more information.”

“What’s important is that we don’t wait for the onset of symptoms when it is more difficult to treat and often most fatal,” Scott said.

Farm Adventures said its “4 precious baby goats” were euthanized and its staff is “closely monitoring our remaining animals under the guidelines provided by health officials.” The goats had been kept in a separate pen because they were too young for vaccinations, the petting zoo said.

“I care about my community, and I care about my customers,” Misty Love, the owner of Farm Adventures, told CNN on Saturday. “If my customers that saw my animals have questions, I’m going to be there for them.”

Love said a wild skunk was found in the goat enclosure on July 29, and the animal was shot and burned. The goats did not appear to have been bitten and showed no signs of rabies, according to Love. But one goat died on August 19. The next day, she said, another goat became ill and was euthanized.

A necropsy on one of the animals revealed the infection.

“RIP Molly, Maggie, cow and Uno,” the zoo’s post said.

Since confirming the virus, state officials say they have been working with the farm and local health departments to find out when and where residents were exposed.

Animals from the petting zoo were at the Masonic Picnic in Mocksville on August 15, according to a Facebook post from Davie County Health and Human Services. Additionally, Catawba and Burke counties said the petting zoo was at a private event near Hickory on August 9. Another event at Breeden Amphitheater in Lexington on August 1 included the petting zoo, according to the Davidson County Health Department.

Other potential exposure sites included private events in Mecklenburg, Watauga, Durham and Iredell counties, according to the state health department.

State health officials said they are working with event organizers to notify attendees who may have had contact with the infected goats.

No other animals on the farm pose a risk of rabies exposure to people, the department said.

What to know about the rabies virus

Though human cases of rabies in the United States are rare, the disease can be deadly if people don’t receive treatment before symptoms begin. Fewer than 10 deaths are reported each year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rabies is caused by a virus that is spread mainly through the saliva of infected animals. This virus is typically transmitted through an animal bite, though scratches or direct contact with mucosa can also spread the virus.

The virus primarily affects the central nervous system, with inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The incubation period, the time between exposure to the virus and symptom onset, can last weeks to months. Once a person starts showing symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal.

During incubation, there are typically no symptoms. Weeks to months after exposure, an infected person may experience flu-like symptoms that can include fever, headache and overall body aches. Discomfort, such as a prickling sensation, at the site of the bite is also possible.

Rabies is preventable but requires vaccination or immediate medical attention after exposure, according to the CDC. Postexposure prophylaxis is highly effective if received soon after exposure.

Rabies transmission from livestock holds a lower risk than bites from wild animals, but people can still be exposed to the virus through saliva from an infected animal, the North Carolina health department said.

“Because baby goats are frequently bottle-fed, handled closely, or cuddled, public health officials are working proactively to ensure anyone who had direct contact with the affected animals is evaluated,” the department said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Jamie Gumbrecht and Dianne Gallagher contributed to this report.