Horse and calf test positive for rabies in two separate cases

Wilkin County Horse

On July 6, 2016 owners of an unvaccinated horse in Wilkin County found their mare unwilling to stand and unable to eat or drink. A veterinarian’s examination of the mare didn’t show any improvement and the following evening, the mare became extremely vocal and died. The horse owners report smelling skunk on the evening of the horse’s death, otherwise they report no skunk sightings on their farm this year. The horse tested positive for rabies on July 11, 2016.

There are several other horses on the farm and some have a history of rabies vaccination.  There are also two dogs and two cats. The owners plan to rabies vaccinate all of the animals.

The Minnesota Department of Health advised post-exposure prophylaxis for the two horse owners, and a rabies booster vaccine for the farm veterinarian.

Murray County Calf

A farm owner in Murray County noted one of his three-month-old beef calves to be uncoordinated on July 8, 2016. A veterinarian treated the calf and it did not respond well and died on July 10, 2016. The calf tested positive for rabies on July 11, 2016.

The farm owner reports no known skunks on the property recently. Currently, a vaccinated dog, many unvaccinated cats, and a small herd of beef cattle reside on the farm.

The Minnesota Department of Health advised post-exposure prophylaxis for two people on the farm, and a rabies booster for the veterinarian exposed to the calf.

For information on rabies in animals and to view a map of positive cases in Minnesota, visit the Board’s website and click on ‘Rabies’ under ‘Programs’ at the top of the page. For questions on rabies exposure to domestic animals call 651-201-6808. If you have questions on rabies in people, please contact the Minnesota Department of Health at 651-201-5414.