Rabies was detected in three baby goats which were in contact with many North Carolina residents through a mobile petting zoo, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services warned.
According to a Friday, Aug. 28 release, the N.C. DHHS and N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services were first notified of a potential rabies exposure among four baby goats at Farm Adventures in Harmony on Aug. 27. The goats are believed to have been exposed to rabies by a skunk that entered a pen where they were kept in late July.
The N.C. State Laboratory of Public Health confirmed rabies in three of the baby goats on Aug. 28. The fourth goat was not tested but is also assumed to have been infected. Officials are working with the farm and impacted local
health departments to gather information about potential exposure dates and locations; based on information gathered Aug. 28, it has been determined that no other animals on the farm pose a rabies risk.
The infected animals were taken to at least seven NC counties according to latest information from NC agencies. Here's what else to know.
Where was rabies detected in North Carolina? Baby goat exposure locations
Farm Adventures operates a petting zoo in Harmony, as well as off-site mobile petting zoo events. Anyone who had contact with the baby goats at any location between July 28 and Aug. 27 may have been exposed while the animals were infectious.
Impacted individuals should contact their local health department to determine whether medications are needed to prevent infection, and are encouraged to call before visiting an emergency department or urgent care clinic to determine if treatment is needed and where it can be accessed. Known exposure locations where the infected baby goats were taken include:
- Jurney's Assisted Living, 1942 Van Haven Drive, Statesville, Iredell County - July 28
- Private event, Mecklenburg County - July 30
- Community Connections Back-to-School Bash, Breeden Amphitheater, 333 S. Main St., Lexington, Davidson County - Aug. 1
- Brookdale Peachtree, 2806 Peachtree Road, Statesville, Iredell County - Aug. 6
- Private event, Watauga County - Aug. 8
- Private event in Burke County - Aug. 9
- Masonic Picnic Grounds, 201 Poplar St., Mocksville, Davie County - Aug. 15
- Private event, Durham County - Aug. 16
- Private event, Iredell County - Aug. 22
- Private, Durham County - Aug. 23
Public health officials are working with event organizers to notify attendees who may have had contact with the goats. The investigation is ongoing, with additional information about potential exposure locations to be released when available.
Have there been any human rabies cases in North Carolina?
The N.C. DHHS statement noted that human rabies infections are "extremely rare" in the U.S., and no human cases have been reported in the state since 2011.
How is rabies spread?
The N.C. DHHS states that rabies can be spread from wild animals to pets and people primarily through bites, scratches, or infected saliva touching broken skin or mucous membranes.
In the case of the infected baby goats, it is possible that people could have been exposed to the virus through saliva from an infected animal. As baby goats are often 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.
What animals can carry rabies?
Though any mammal can carry and spread rabies, Mayo Clinic states that pets and farm most likely to transmit the rabies virus include cats, cows, dogs, ferrets, goats and horses. Wild animals most likely to spread the virus include bats, beavers, coyotes, foxes, monkeys, raccoons, skunks and woodchucks.
What are the symptoms of rabies in animals? Humans?
Rabies is almost always fatal in mammals, including humans, unless the proper medications are given before symptoms develop. Symptoms can begin weeks to months after someone is exposed. Once the virus enters the body, it travels along the nerves to the brain.
Animals with rabies may show a variety of signs. The American Veterinary Medical Association lists the following symptoms as common:
- Fearfulness
- Aggression
- Excessive drooling
- Difficulty swallowing
- Staggering
- Paralysis
- Seizures
- Depression, self-mutilation or increased sensitivity to light in horses and livestock
- Aggressive behavior or unusually affectionate, friendly or fearless behavior
- Generally unusual behavior, such as nocturnal animals becoming active during the daytime
In humans, early symptoms can be flu-like, including weakness, fever or headache as well as a prickling or itching sensation where someone was bitten or exposed. A full list of rabies symptoms among humans from Mayo Clinic includes:
- Fever
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Agitation
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Hyperactivity
- Difficulty swallowing
- Excessive salivation
- Fear brought on by attempts to drink fluids because of difficulty swallowing water
- Fear brought on by air blown on the face
- Hallucinations
- Insomnia
- Partial paralysis
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Possible rabies exposure in 7 NC counties after baby goats test positive
