News Releases

Saint Paul, Minn - The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a Tennessee commercial chicken breeder flock on March 5. Although the response and containment was quick and successful, the incident highlights the need for producers to remain vigilant to reduce the risk of virus spread.

Two years ago, Minnesota experienced a similar deadly

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health received negative test results for Chronic Wasting Disease on five white-tailed deer it traced out of an infected herd in Merrifield, Minnesota. Four of the deer were tested from a herd in Brainerd, and a single deer was tested from a herd in Mountain Iron. Those farms are released from quarantine because of the negative test results. Working

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirms CWD on a Meeker County farm near Dassel. Positive CWD samples came from a two-year-old female white-tailed deer that died on the farm. In accordance with state law, tissue samples were collected from the carcass and submitted for CWD testing. Farmed deer, 12 months of age and older, are required to be tested for CWD if they die or

Saint Paul, Minn - Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been identified in a farmed deer herd in Crow Wing County near Merrifield. The herd of 33 mule deer and 100 white-tailed deer is registered with the Board of Animal Health. Two, two-year-old female deer were slaughtered on the farm and both tested positive for CWD. The deer showed no clinical signs of illness.

The Board of Animal Health requires

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health reflects on past year

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health’s 2016 Annual Report revolves around themes of progress and protection. Focuses of the year include: a new executive director, a renovated Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory (MPTL), new leadership in partner agencies, the discovery of Senecavirus A in Minnesota swine, and recovery

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) identified two positive cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in wild deer near Lanesboro. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) is responding to help protect the state’s farmed and wild deer populations. A disease control zone with a 10-mile radius will be established around where the two CWD positive deer were found

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory (MPTL), located in Willmar, will re-open after an extensive building expansion project that began last December.  Serving farmers, poultry producers and veterinarians in the area, the project will provide additional diagnostic testing labs and enhanced equipment and office spaces.

The new construction expanded the 20-year-old space from a

Saint Paul, Minn - An unvaccinated horse in Winthrop, Minnesota has tested positive for West Nile Virus and is severely ill. The 1.5-year-old Friesian stallion has been unable to stand for a week and is receiving supportive care. This is the first confirmed case of 2016 affecting a Minnesota horse.

West Nile Virus is regularly found in the United States, and birds serve as the primary host of the

Saint Paul, Minn - Today marks the one-year anniversary of the new laws regulating commercial dog and cat breeders, which are overseen by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. In the time since its inception, the Board has been working with the state’s commercial breeders to license and inspect their facilities.

A commercial breeder is someone who owns 10 or more adult intact dogs or cats that

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota State Legislature expanded the use of $1.8 million appropriated for avian influenza last session, to ensure the Board of Animal Health can respond to a wider range of Foreign Animal Diseases. Governor Mark Dayton signed the supplemental budget bill (2016 Minnesota Session Laws, Chapter 189) on June 1, 2016, which included this expanded use of funding for the Board

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health has named Dr. Beth Thompson as its new executive director and state veterinarian. Thompson was selected by the five-member Board to succeed Dr. Bill Hartmann, who is retiring after leading the agency for 15 years. Her first effective day as the State Veterinarian and Executive Director of the Board is June 2, 2016.

Thompson has served as an

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced today that it has lifted the last of the quarantines that were placed on each of the 108 farms infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) this year. All sites have completed cleaning and disinfection of their facilities and have received negative influenza test results from environmental samples taken in and around the

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced today that it will be lifting the ban placed on poultry exhibitions and other gatherings of birds beginning December 1, 2015. Birds will be permitted at fairs, swap meets, exotic sales, petting zoos and other events where birds are gathered or commingled.

The directive to prohibit birds from exhibition was made on May 15, 2015 in the

Saint Paul, Minn - Beginning July 1, 2015, each commercial dog or cat breeder in Minnesota must obtain an annual license from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. This is one of the requirements in new laws for commercial dog and cat breeders passed during the 2014 Legislative Session (Minnesota Statutes 347.57 – 347.64).

“We have been directed to enforce these new laws for commercial breeders,”

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health today announced its directive to cancel all bird exhibitions at county fairs, the State Fair, and other gatherings of birds. The Board’s directive is effective through the end of 2015 and also prohibits birds from being included in swap meets, exotic sales, and petting zoos.

Since March 5, 2015, nearly 90 Minnesota farms have been impacted by

Saint Paul, Minn - New state regulations to protect the health and safety of dogs and cats will take effect Tuesday, July 1, 2014. During the 2014 Legislative Session, Governor Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature enacted the new law, creating licensing and inspection requirements for commercial dog and cat breeders. The purpose of the law is to protect and enhance the well-being of dogs and

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health reminds exhibitors of livestock that animals entering all classes of exhibition need to be officially identified. The Board is offering free official ear tags to help exhibitors meet the requirement.

The Board of Animal Health rules require official identification of all exhibition animals, except for swine entering slaughter classes and

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirmed today that one four-year-old cow in Pennington County died of anthrax earlier this week. This is the first documented case of the disease in Minnesota since 2008.

The cow was found dead on the farm on Monday. Samples were collected on Tuesday and sent to the North Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Fargo

Saint Paul, Minn - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health today announced that its new rules are now in effect. The Board has been working with livestock groups to adopt rules that allow the Board to control diseases and are sensible for Minnesota farmers.

“After four years of talking with stakeholders, we are pleased to have rules that address the topics facing livestock agriculture today,” said Dr