Local health departments in North Carolina evaluated hundreds of individuals for potential rabies exposure after interacting with baby goats from a mobile petting zoo between late July and late August, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. State health officials recommended post-exposure prophylaxis for over 200 of those evaluated as investigations into the multi-county animal exposures continue.
Mobile Petting Zoo Exposures Across North Carolina
The animals involved were owned by Farm Adventures, a business based in Harmony, North Carolina, according to state health officials. Between July 28 and August 27, the farm transported the goats to at least 10 locations across multiple counties, including Iredell, Mecklenburg, Davidson, Watauga, Burke, Davie, and Durham. Events included a Masonic picnic, assisted living centers, private gatherings, and a back-to-school bash.
By Wednesday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported that local health departments had evaluated 284 people. Additional individuals consulted healthcare providers directly regarding their potential risk. State health recommendations called for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for 213 of the evaluated individuals.
At Jurney’s Assisted Living Home in Statesville, Executive Director Chrissy Stein-Martin stated that eight residents underwent treatment following interaction with the goats. Health department personnel visited the facility to administer follow-up vaccinations on-site. Stein-Martin noted that the facility will no longer host farm animals going forward.
Rabies Confirmation and Animal Quarantine
Farm Adventures stated that four baby goats that may have exposed visitors to the virus were euthanized. Laboratory tests subsequently detected the rabies virus in three of the goats, while a fourth was presumed infected without testing, according to county health departments. All remaining animals at the farm were placed under quarantine.
The petting zoo’s owner, Misty Love, explained that the baby goats were kept in a separate pen because they were too young for standard vaccinations. According to the farm’s account, a wild skunk entered the pen on July 29. The farm removed and disposed of the skunk, but one goat died on August 19, and another fell ill the following day.
North Carolina health officials noted that approximately 300 animals test positive for rabies annually in the state, the vast majority of which are wildlife. In 2025, over 4,000 animals underwent rabies testing statewide, with roughly six percent returning positive results.
Post-Exposure Prophylaxis and Medical Protocol
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rabies is a fatal viral disease affecting the central nervous system that spreads through direct contact with infected saliva via broken skin or mucous membranes. When administered promptly after exposure, PEP is considered fully effective at preventing infection.
Standard PEP treatment begins with thorough wound care if a bite or scratch occurred. Patients then receive human rabies immunoglobulin alongside a series of vaccine doses administered over a 14-day period. Modern vaccines are given in the shoulder muscle for adults or the thigh for children, replacing older regimens that involved numerous injections in the stomach.
Without prompt intervention, rabies symptoms typically develop within two months, progressing from initial headaches, nausea, and sore throat to severe neurological complications including hallucinations, paralysis, and coma. Public health agencies advise anyone who attended the affected petting zoo events to seek an immediate risk assessment rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.
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