\u201cI didn\u2019t think anything of it until Friday, when his aunt called me and was like, \u2018Hey, we have a situation,\u2019\u201d said Lanning, 30, of Marion. Lanning asked that her son not be named.<\/p>\n
Three baby goats at the petting zoo had tested positive for rabies<\/a>, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services<\/a> announced Friday. The goats, along with a fourth suspected of having the disease, had been euthanized. <\/p>\n Lanning immediately rushed her son to the doctor, where he was given the first two of six shots of the rabies vaccine. The vaccinations are known as post-exposure prophylaxis, meaning they\u2019re given to people after they may have been exposed to rabies to stop the virus in its tracks. Once symptoms of an infection begin, the disease \u2014 which attacks the brain and the spinal cord \u2014 is almost always fatal. <\/p>\n The vaccine is nearly 100% effective in preventing the disease, but only if it is given before symptoms begin. <\/p>\n People can be infected when they touch the saliva of or are scratched or bitten by a rabid animal. <\/p>\n \u201cMy fear is that if he was feeding the goats, and he\u2019s 4, who\u2019s to say that he didn\u2019t touch his mouth or eyes?\u201d Lanning said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to bury my child.\u201d<\/p>\n It takes weeks to months after a person is exposed to rabies to develop symptoms, which can initially feel a lot like the flu: weakness, fatigue, fever and headaches. People may also develop a \u201cprickling or itching sensation\u201d where they were touched or bitten, according to the North Carolina health department. <\/p>\n The health department said Monday that it didn\u2019t have an estimate of the number of people exposed to the infected goats. <\/p>\n They were at a North Carolina-based mobile petting zoo called Farm Adventures <\/a>and had been featured at events across the state from July 28 through Aug. 23, the state said.<\/p>\n In addition to the dinosaur exhibit in Mocksville, the animals were at private events like birthday parties and a \u201cback-to-school bash,\u201d and they had visited an assisted living center. <\/p>\n A representative for Farm Adventures did not respond to a request for comment. A post on the company\u2019s Facebook page<\/a> said its goats, which were too young to be vaccinated against rabies, appeared to have been infected by a skunk that got into their pen. <\/p>\n Skunks, along with bats, raccoons and foxes, are typical carriers of rabies.<\/p>\n The state health department said in a statement that it\u2019s \u201cworking with local health departments and healthcare systems to make sure rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is available to anyone who needs it.\u201d<\/p>\n Rabies outbreaks appear to be rising<\/a> across the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, <\/a>1.4 million Americans are monitored every year for possible exposure to the virus. About 100,000 people get post-exposure prophylaxis shots.<\/p>\n![\"Harmony](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/260830-rabid-goat-mass-vaccines-north-carolina-bf-1247-494833.jpg\")
Lanning’s son has received three rabies vaccinations so far and will ultimately need six shots. Rebecca Lanning<\/p>\n