HICKORY — Catawba County Public Health said Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services notified the department that several goats associated with a mobile petting zoo tested positive for rabies.
As of late Friday afternoon, Public Health said there had not been any potential Catawba County locations identified in the investigation. The petting zoo was at an event on Aug. 9, 2026, in Burke County on Miller Mills Road, Hickory. Given the proximity, the county said Catawba residents may have attended that event and come in contact with the goats while they were potentially infectious.
Rabies is transmitted through an infected animal’s saliva. Public Health asked any Catawba County resident who attended that event and touched, held, fed, or came in contact with these goats to call Communicable Disease Nurses at (828) 695-5769.
“Although very few people in Catawba County likely came in contact with these particular goats, it is important that anyone who did get in touch with us,” Public Health Director Jennifer McCracken, RN, BSN, MPA, said. “Rabies is not a disease we can take risks with because it is almost always fatal once symptoms develop.”
People who have potentially been exposed to rabies are generally advised to immediately receive rabies prophylaxis, Public Health said, because that step prevents symptoms from developing after exposure.
Because this was a single, private event, the department said there is not a risk to the broader public. The investigation was ongoing, and additional locations may be identified.
“Petting zoos are a popular attraction for young children and adults alike. This situation serves as a poignant reminder that human contact with animals carries with it the risk of numerous diseases,” McCracken said. “Although it’s not a perfect solution, thorough handwashing with soap and water is the best way to prevent accidental spread of diseases from animals to humans.”
Catawba County Public Health said it is working closely with NCDHHS and other local health departments to determine the scope of the potential exposures and mount a collaborative response.
The Aug. 28 notice did not name the petting zoo operator, identify how many goats tested positive, or report any confirmed human cases.
Official release from Catawba County Government, Aug. 28, 2026. https://www.catawbacountync.gov/news/party-attendees-may-be-exposed-to-rabies/
