A family outing turned frightening for a North Carolina mother after her 4-year-old son was potentially exposed to rabies while feeding baby goats at a petting zoo.
Rebecca Lanning, 30, said she took her son to a dinosaur exhibit in Mocksville on August 15. The event featured food trucks, carnival games and a petting zoo where children could feed baby goats by hand.
Thirteen days later, the family received a warning that several of the goats had tested positive for rabies.
Three goats test positive for rabies
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced on August 28 that three baby goats at the mobile petting zoo had tested positive for rabies.
A fourth goat was suspected of having the disease. All four animals were euthanised.
The goats had reportedly been part of Farm Adventures, a mobile petting zoo that appeared at events across North Carolina between July 28 and August 23.
The health department said it did not yet have an estimate of how many people may have been exposed to the infected animals.
Mother rushes son for treatment
After learning about the infected goats, Lanning immediately took her son to a doctor. He received the first doses of the rabies vaccine as post-exposure prophylaxis.
The treatment is given after a possible exposure to prevent the virus from developing. Rabies attacks the brain and spinal cord and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
Lanning said she was particularly worried because her young son had been feeding the goats by hand.
Her concern was that he might have touched his mouth or eyes after coming into contact with the animals.
Why rabies exposure can be dangerous
Rabies can spread when a person comes into contact with the saliva of an infected animal, including through bites or scratches.
Symptoms can take weeks or months to appear. Early signs can include weakness, fatigue, fever and headache, while some people may experience itching or a prickling sensation at the site of exposure.
The rabies vaccine is highly effective at preventing the disease when administered before symptoms begin.
Zoo says goats may have been infected by skunk
According to a post on Farm Adventures’ Facebook page, the goats were too young to receive rabies vaccinations and may have been infected by a skunk that entered their enclosure.
Skunks, bats, raccoons and foxes are among animals known to carry rabies.
The health department said it is working with local health departments and healthcare systems to ensure that people who may have been exposed can access post-exposure treatment.
The incident has also highlighted the importance of seeking medical advice quickly after possible contact with an animal suspected of carrying rabies.