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(VIDEO) North Carolina Boy Faces Six Rabies Shots After Mobile Petting Zoo Goats Test Positive for the Virus
MOCKSVILLE, N.C. — A North Carolina family is racing through a series of rabies vaccinations for their 4-year-old son after learning that baby goats he petted at a mobile petting zoo tested positive for the virus, part of a broader public health response now underway across the state.
Rebecca Lanning, 30, of Marion, said she received a call from her son’s aunt last Friday informing her that her son had been exposed to rabies. The family had visited a dinosaur-themed exhibit in Mocksville 13 days earlier, on Aug. 15, an event that also featured food trucks, carnival games and a petting zoo where the boy fed baby goats by hand. “I didn’t think anything of it until Friday, when his aunt called me and was like, ‘Hey, we have a situation,’” Lanning said.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that three baby goats from the petting zoo had tested positive for rabies. Those animals, along with a fourth goat suspected of carrying the virus, have since been euthanized.
Lanning immediately took her son to the doctor, where he received the first two of six required doses of the rabies vaccine, a regimen known as post-exposure prophylaxis. The shots are administered after a possible exposure in an effort to stop the virus before it can take hold in the body. Once symptoms of a rabies infection begin, the disease, which attacks the brain and spinal cord, is almost always fatal. The vaccine is nearly 100% effective at preventing the disease, but only when it is administered before symptoms appear.
People can become infected with rabies through contact with the saliva of an infected animal, or through a bite or scratch. Lanning said the uncertainty of her son’s specific interactions with the goats has weighed on her heavily in the days since learning of the exposure. “My fear is that if he was feeding the goats, and he’s 4, who’s to say that he didn’t touch his mouth or eyes?” Lanning said. “I don’t want to bury my child.”
Rabies symptoms typically take weeks to months to appear after exposure, and can initially resemble the flu, including weakness, fatigue, fever and headaches. According to the North Carolina health department, people may also experience a prickling or itching sensation at the site where they were touched or bitten by an infected animal.
As of Monday, the state health department said it did not have an estimate of how many people may have been exposed to the infected goats. The animals were part of a North Carolina-based mobile petting zoo operation called Farm Adventures, which had appeared at events across the state between July 28 and Aug. 23. Beyond the Mocksville dinosaur exhibit, the goats were also brought to private gatherings, including birthday parties and a back-to-school celebration, as well as a visit to an assisted living center.
A representative for Farm Adventures did not respond to a request for comment. The company addressed the situation in a post on its Facebook page, stating that its goats, which were too young to have been vaccinated against rabies themselves, appeared to have contracted the virus after a skunk got into their enclosure. Skunks are among the animals most commonly known to carry and transmit rabies, along with bats, raccoons and foxes.
In a statement, the North Carolina health department said it is “working with local health departments and healthcare systems to make sure rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is available to anyone who needs it,” as officials work to identify and reach others who may have come into contact with the infected animals during their weeks on the road.
The incident comes amid what public health officials say is a broader increase in rabies exposures nationally in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 1.4 million Americans are evaluated annually for possible rabies exposure, with about 100,000 people ultimately receiving post-exposure prophylaxis shots each year. Health officials continue to urge caution around wild and unfamiliar animals, along with prompt medical attention following any bite, scratch or direct contact with an animal’s saliva, given how critical early treatment is to preventing the disease from becoming fatal.
Pensacola, Florida-area resident Jacob Rockwell joins ‘The Sunday Briefing’ to discuss his concerns over red-light camera surveillance and raises questions about who is liable for camera tickets after disputing his own out-of-state citation.
Florida drivers may soon see fewer high-tech eyes monitoring their highway commutes after state officials ordered local police to strip automated license plate readers from state roads, dealing a blow to private surveillance vendors like Flock Safety while drawing a hard boundary against what Gov. Ron DeSantis warns is an expanding “digital AI surveillance state.”
“If you want to get in your car and you want to go down to Buc-ee’s in St. Augustine, it’s really none of the government’s damn business if you’re doing that, right? What we don’t want in the state of Florida is to have a digital AI surveillance state where everything we’re doing is being tracked at all times,” DeSantis said at a Monday news conference.
“There’s obviously times when I think it’s probably been useful, but where is this data going?” the governor continued. “They claim that the companies aren’t going to misuse it, but no one’s watching that. And I know you can make some money selling cameras, but you really can make a lot of money if you can sell people’s data.”
DeSantis’ comments come as the Florida Department of Transportation announced in a one-page memo Monday that it was revoking existing permits for automated license plate readers within state highway rights-of-way and giving law enforcement agencies 30 days to remove existing devices.
FDOT said the action was prompted by the rapid expansion of automated license plate readers, along with reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and surveillance schemes. The license plate readers record vehicle sightings, feed searchable databases and, when agencies choose to share data, can connect searches across jurisdictional lines.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a press conference at Florida International University in Miami on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Getty Images)
Automated license plate readers (ALPRs), which are often small, solar-powered cameras mounted on poles, buildings or police cars, can capture vehicle license plates and locations as drivers pass by. Flock Safety, one of the leading ALPR vendors, has rapidly expanded its business with law enforcement, municipalities and businesses in recent years.
The ACLU says about 120,000 Flock cameras are currently installed nationwide.
“I guarantee you every sheriff in Florida can point to examples where it’s been used appropriately and probably effectively. And I have no doubt that that’s the case. But you also have to say, okay, how could this be misused?” DeSantis said.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., joins ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss the gubernatorial race, his position on data centers and Florida’s ban on flock cameras.
“We know there was an officer in Florida who was using the LPR data to track, like, an ex-girlfriend or something like that. I don’t think we have really strong penalties at all for that type of misuse,” he added. “So I’ve called for legislation that will protect Floridians from allowing the state to turn it into some type of digital prison, digital surveillance state where somebody knows everything about what you’re doing every day of the week.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Flock spokesperson said, “Flock’s technology is an important public safety tool for law enforcement agencies across Florida, helping officers solve serious crimes, find missing people, recover stolen vehicles and support safer communities. In just the last few weeks in Florida, the technology was used to find missing children, led to the arrest of a murder suspect and assisted in solving numerous other crimes.”
“Rather than banning a critical public safety tool,” the spokesperson continued, “we support thoughtful legislation and strong privacy, transparency and accountability guardrails that ensure technology is used responsibly while preserving law enforcement’s ability to use effective tools to keep people safe.”
Knox County commissioners Larsen Jay and Andy Fox discuss privacy concerns over flock cameras in their area on ‘The Bottom Line.’
DeSantis’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Florida’s directive mirrors broader pushback across the country. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently halted state funding for Flock cameras, while municipalities across the U.S. have ended or declined to renew contracts with the company.
Public resistance has also escalated into proposed class-action lawsuits and reports of camera vandalism in dozens of states across the U.S.
Fox News’ Kerri Kupec Urbahn contributed to this report.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani states he’s not interested in a ‘back and forth’ with Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming one of his top priorities is keeping Jewish New Yorkers safe.
Bank of America Vice President Erin Piacenti was killed during a high-profile stabbing in New York City’s Times Square on Monday.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) identified Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester, New Jersey, as the deceased victim.
Bank of America acknowledged Piacenti’s death in an email obtained by Reuters.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones,” the bank wrote in the email.
After receiving a 911 call shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, NYPD officers found a 49-year-old woman wielding two knives in Times Square.
Officers shot the assailant, who was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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Dyson is expanding into oral care with a $499 smart toothbrush that uses a built-in camera and targeted liquid jet to clean between teeth.
The CameraJet, which launches on Tuesday, uses a 100,000-pixel macro camera and artificial intelligence to identify gaps between teeth and automatically directs mouthrinse toward them.
The $499 device marks Dyson’s latest expansion beyond the vacuum cleaners and hair care products for which the company is best known, adding another high-priced consumer product to its lineup.
Dyson says the camera can analyze 28 images per second. Its software can trigger the jet within 100 milliseconds of detecting a gap.
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The $499 device marks Dyson’s latest expansion beyond the vacuum cleaners and hair-care products. (Dyson)
The CameraJet uses a conical liquid jet rather than the narrow stream found on traditional water flossers. Dyson says the system is designed to remove plaque between teeth while operating at lower pressure.
A 12.5-milliliter reservoir holds mouthrinse, while an included dock can refill the tank in about three seconds, according to the company.
Users can connect the device to the MyDyson app for live camera viewing. (Dyson)
Users can connect the device to the MyDyson app for live camera viewing, cleaning guidance, coverage maps and feedback on brushing technique.
Dyson says images are not stored or shared and that processing takes place on the device.
The company also says laboratory testing found the CameraJet removed nearly 70% more plaque in hard-to-reach areas than premium electric toothbrushes under certain test conditions. Dyson conducted the testing using proxy plaque developed through research with the National University of Singapore.
Dyson says images are not stored or shared and that processing takes place on the device. (Dyson)
Dyson is also developing low-foaming mouthrinse and SLS-free toothpaste for use with the device.
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The CameraJet is available through Dyson’s website and Dyson Demo Stores.
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