Rabies Scare at Family Outing Prompts Urgent Medical Action

Last Friday, Rebecca Lanning received alarming news about her 4-year-old son. Following a family outing, he had been exposed to rabies. Thirteen days earlier, the family attended a dinosaur exhibit in Mocksville, North Carolina, featuring food trucks, carnival games, and a petting zoo. Here, her son fed baby goats by hand.

Rebecca Lanning, 30, from Marion, explained, “I didn’t think anything of it until Friday, when his aunt called me and said, ‘Hey, we have a situation.’” Lanning requested her son’s anonymity.

On Friday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported that three baby goats from the petting zoo tested positive for rabies. These goats, along with a fourth suspected case, were euthanized. Lanning immediately took her son to a doctor, where he received the first two of six rabies vaccine shots. These vaccinations, known as post-exposure prophylaxis, are administered after potential exposure to prevent the virus from progressing.

“My fear is that if he was feeding the goats, and he’s 4, who’s to say he didn’t touch his mouth or eyes?” Lanning expressed her concern. “I don’t want to bury my child.”

Her son has received three of the required six rabies vaccinations. Rabies symptoms can take weeks to months to appear and often resemble flu symptoms, including weakness, fatigue, fever, and headaches. A prickling or itching sensation may occur where contact occurred. The health department has not provided an estimate for those exposed to the infected goats.

The incident occurred at a mobile petting zoo, Farm Adventures, which operated across North Carolina from July 28 to August 23. The animals were featured at various events, including the dinosaur exhibit in Mocksville, birthday parties, and a back-to-school event, even visiting an assisted living center.

A statement from Farm Adventures on Facebook indicated the goats, too young for rabies vaccinations, were likely infected by a skunk entering their pen. Skunks, bats, raccoons, and foxes commonly carry rabies. The state health department emphasized its coordination with local health departments and healthcare providers to ensure necessary rabies post-exposure prophylaxis treatments are available.

There is a rising trend in rabies cases across the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 1.4 million Americans are monitored yearly for possible rabies exposure, with about 100,000 receiving post-exposure prophylaxis shots.