Four baby goats from a North Carolina mobile petting zoo tested positive for rabies and were euthanized, and health officials are asking anyone who may have had contact with them to reach out for possible treatment.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said anyone who had contact with the baby goats at Farm Adventures’ location in Harmony, North Carolina, or at one of its mobile events between July 28 and Thursday should contact local health officials.
“The petting zoo held off-site events involving children and elderly individuals across multiple counties within that time frame,” the department said.
Health professionals may determine whether people who had contact with the baby goats need further examination or precautionary medication, it said.
Without it, rabies is almost always fatal in humans, the state health department said.
Farm Adventures said in a statement posted to Facebook that it is monitoring its other animals for signs of the viral disease.
“The affected animals, our four precious baby goats, have been euthanized to prevent further spread,” it said.
The baby goats were too young for vaccination and were bitten by a skunk that was found in their separate pen, the petting zoo said.
It said it was unaware the goats had been bitten, and that they did not show typical symptoms of the disease. After the first goat’s death, the petting zoo sent its body to be tested, it said.
It was unclear when the skunk was found in the pen.
Skunks are one of the animals most often found with rabies, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People can get rabies through pets, wild animals and other humans through a bite, a scratch or even infected saliva, it said. It can take weeks after exposure for early symptoms to begin, including flulike illness, feeling weak, fevers, headaches and a prickling or itching sensation, health officials say.
North Carolina hasn’t had a reported human case since 2011, the state health department said.
Roughly 100,000 Americans a year receive a rabies vaccine following a potential exposure, according to the CDC. It characterizes rabies as “a rare but serious public health concern.”
The petting zoo said it’s cooperating with state and local government officials.
“We are working closely with public health officials, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and animal control to address this issue and ensure the safety of our animals and clients,” it said in its statement.
The petting zoo, responding to a comment on Facebook, said it’s hoping its customers are unaffected.
“I am truly concerned about anyone that has been able to enjoy our animals,” the comment said. “We would NEVER intend to put anyone in danger.”
NBC News has reached out to the petting zoo for additional comment.
