Last Friday, Rebecca Lanning of Marion, North Carolina, received a distressing call: her 4‑year‑old son may have been exposed to rabies during a family outing. The exposure occurred on Aug. 15 at a dinosaur exhibit in Mocksville that featured a mobile petting zoo operated by Farm Adventures.

Goats test positive for rabies

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that three baby goats at the petting zoo tested positive for rabies, and a fourth goat was suspected of infection. All four animals were euthanized.

Child receives post‑exposure prophylaxis

Lanning rushed her son to a local physician, where he received the first two of the six‑dose rabies vaccine series. The vaccine, known as post‑exposure prophylaxis, is nearly 100% effective when administered before symptoms appear. Once rabies symptoms develop, the disease is almost always fatal.

How the exposure may have occurred

Rabies can be transmitted through saliva, scratches, or bites from an infected animal. Lanning worries that her son, while feeding the goats, might have touched his mouth or eyes, increasing the risk of infection.

State response and broader context

The health department said it is working with local health officials and medical providers to ensure that anyone potentially exposed can obtain the vaccine. The mobile petting zoo traveled across the state from late July through Aug. 23, appearing at events such as birthday parties, a back‑to‑school bash, and an assisted‑living center.

Farm Adventures did not comment, but a Facebook post from the company indicated the young goats were likely infected after a skunk entered their pen. Skunks, along with bats, raccoons and foxes, are common carriers of rabies.

Rabies cases have been rising nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 1.4 million Americans are monitored each year for possible exposure, and roughly 100,000 receive post‑exposure prophylaxis shots.

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.