HICKORY, N.C. — Catawba County health officials are asking residents who attended an Aug. 9 event on Miller Mills Road in Hickory to contact public health nurses after several goats from a mobile petting zoo tested positive for rabies.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services notified Catawba County Public Health of the positive test results Friday.
Anyone who touched, held, fed or came into contact with the goats is asked to call communicable disease nurses at (828) 695-5769 to evaluate the need for preventive treatment.
The Aug. 9 gathering on Miller Mills Road in Hickory was a single, private event and health officials said there is no broader risk to the general public. However, local officials warned that residents may have attended and handled the animals while the goats were potentially infectious.
Public Health Director for Catawba County Jennifer McCracken urged anyone who interacted with the animals to seek medical assessment immediately.
Catawba County Public Health is coordinating with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and regional health departments to trace potential exposure paths and organize a joint response.
Health officials stated that the joint investigation remains ongoing and additional exposure locations may be identified as contact tracing continues.