News Releases

Saint Paul, Minn - A 3-year-old Miniature Horse in Pine City was confirmed to have West Nile Virus on July 27, which marks the first equine case in Minnesota in 2018. The attending veterinarian reported to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health that the stallion presented with acute neurologic signs, exhibiting profound weakness in his front limbs, tripping and falling and requiring assistance to

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health reminds livestock producers and veterinarians to be on the lookout for cases of anthrax, especially after recent confirmed cattle deaths from anthrax in South Dakota. Anthrax is caused by a spore-forming bacterium called Bacillus anthracis, which can emerge in greater concentrations after rain storms, flooding or excavation. Anthrax usually

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health reminds livestock owners to review their responsibilities before exhibiting animals at their county fair or other events this summer. Animal health is a shared responsibility and is part of overall public health, especially at events that bring people and animals together.

“We are excited Minnesota fair season is underway and encourage

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health urges horse owners to do their part to stop the spread of a highly contagious horse disease after it has been confirmed in neighboring states. North and South Dakota recently confirmed cases of Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM), a potentially fatal and reportable disease. The last case of EHM diagnosed in Minnesota was in 2015.

“Hor

Saint Paul, Minn - Spring and summer exhibitions, like county fairs, are right around the corner. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health reminds livestock owners to review animal health and movement regulations before hitting the road. Moving livestock can be a burdensome process, which can go much smoother when everyone prepares ahead of time. Regulations at exhibitions, for official identification

Saint Paul, Minn - Raising poultry, like chickens in the backyard, is increasingly popular across the country. However, newcomers may not be aware of some risks for illness. These risks are greatest for children under 5 years old and people with weakened immune systems.

Since spring is a common time to purchase birds, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health received positive test results for chronic wasting disease (CWD) this week after depopulating a Winona County deer farm first identified with the disease in November 2017. All seven of the remaining white-tailed deer in the herd were harvested, sampled, and found to have the disease affecting deer and elk.

The producer had also moved deer into

Saint Paul, Minn - Minnesota has been awarded seven veterinary shortage areas nominated by the Board of Animal Health in federal fiscal year 2018. These areas have been identified as part of the USDA’s Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), which reimburses qualified student loan debt in exchange for veterinarians working in rural areas of need.

According to the American Veterinary

Saint Paul, Minn - While doctors and athletic trainers are preparing athletes for the big game in Minneapolis, veterinarians and rescue volunteers are busy doing the same for a furry group of feline “cat-letes.” The Minnesota Board of Animal Health is licensing the Hallmark Channel’s fifth annual Kitten Bowl as a temporary kennel for the 10-day event where strayed, abandoned or unwanted kittens

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health has identified another case of CWD in a farmed five-year-old white-tailed buck in Winona County. This is the same farm on which CWD was detected in a three-year-old white-tailed buck last month. The deer was harvested on the farm and samples were collected in November when Board staff visited the farm to establish a quarantine (click here to

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health’s 2017 Annual Report concentrates on its slogan, “Healthy animals for healthy people and communities.” It was a busy year with many notable efforts to protect animal health: responding to the swine disease Senecavirus A, investigating CWD cases in deer, tracking animal movements within and across Minnesota’s borders, and planning and

Saint Paul, Minn - Routine disease sampling has led to a positive CWD test result in a three-year-old white-tailed buck from a Winona County farmed herd. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirmed the results with the USDA, and has already quarantined the herd and begun its disease investigation. The Board also confirmed it has 10 years of records on this registered herd, which show it has a

Saint Paul, Minn - Minnesota’s only currently quarantined farmed deer herd in Crow Wing County continues testing deer harvested on the farm for Chronic Wasting Disease. The latest results released by the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory did not detect CWD in deer tissue samples. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health quarantined the herd in December 2016 when two white-tailed deer tested positive

Saint Paul, Minn - West Nile Virus has been diagnosed in a 33 year old American Quarter Horse mare in Euclid, Minnesota. The attending veterinarian reported that on October 9 the horse presented with incoordination and exhibited weakness in both hind legs. The horse responded to supportive care to control pain and inflammation, and showed significant improvement in clinical signs within a week

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health has lifted a quarantine in place since May 15, 2017, following the depopulation and testing of a CWD exposed Wright County white-tailed deer herd. CWD was not detected in any of the 30 white-tailed deer samples collected. The herd was initially placed under quarantine because the Board traced animal movements from this herd to one of the CWD

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health and the Minnesota Department of Health are calling on Minnesotans to educate themselves about rabies as part of World Rabies Day on Thursday, September 28, 2017. World Rabies Day recognizes that even though vaccination and education have significantly reduced the impact of this disease, there is still more work to be done in combating the

Saint Paul, Minn - At the request of veterinarians and the public, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health placed canine influenza back on its official list of reportable diseases; it was previously removed in 2016. Reportable diseases are those with the potential to negatively impact Minnesota’s domestic species. These diseases pose a significant risk to the animal, and in some cases human

Saint Paul, Minn - Two farmed deer in Stearns County tested negative for Chronic Wasting Disease. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health received the negative test results last week and has since released the herd from quarantine. The herd had been quarantined since the start of this year because it received four deer from a CWD infected herd in Crow Wing County. The Board shared the test results

Saint Paul, Minn - In late April, the Board of Animal Health and United States Department of Agriculture euthanized a quarantined herd of 14 white-tailed deer in Meeker County. Samples collected from the animals were tested at the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa and four deer were confirmed CWD positive on May 15. This herd was part of an investigation initiated with a

Saint Paul, Minn - Each year, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health records the movements of millions of animals into and out of the state. Tracking these animals and their movements is a vital part of the Board’s work to monitor and respond to animal disease events. In 2016 there were 5.7 million domestic animals imported into Minnesota and 2.1 million exported, excluding domestic poultry, which