Lexington petting zoo rabies warning after goat exposure
North Carolina health officials have issued a rabies warning after baby goats at a mobile petting zoo tested positive for the virus. Authorities are urging anyone who had contact with the animals at various events across the state between July 28 and August 27 to contact their local health department.
Why it matters
Rabies is a fatal disease, and identifying potential human exposure is critical for timely medical intervention and public safety.
Update The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is sharing more details of possible exposures after baby goats at a petting zoo in Iredell County tested positive for rabies. NCDHHS officials say their agency and the state's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services were first notified about the potential rabies exposure of four baby goats at Farm Adventures in Harmony, North Carolina, on Aug. 27. The agency stated that the goats were most likely exposed to the deadly disease by a skunk that entered into their pen sometime in late July. Officials say the NC State Laboratory of Public Health confirmed the rabies virus was found in three of the baby goats Aug. 29. A fourth wasn't tested, but officials assume it's also been infected.
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