Health officials in Minnesota are alarmed by a rise in rabies cases among cattle attributed to rabid skunks. According to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, there have been 32 rabies cases statewide this year, compared to 20 cases over the same period last year. This increase is primarily in southwest and central Minnesota.
“This is a significant increase compared to other years,” said Carrie Klumb, an epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health to the Star Tribune. “This is not a normal year.” At least 24 people exposed to rabid animals this year have been advised to get rabies shots, Klumb added.
Minnesota usually records three to five rabid skunks annually, but 12 have been reported this year. Additionally, the state has averaged one rabid cattle case per year over the past decade, yet there have been six cases in 2024, all resulting in death. Rabid skunks can become aggressive and attack larger animals such as livestock, the state animal health board noted.
Here are just a few of the cases that farmers have come in contact with this year
Farmers first noticed unusual behavior in a steer on May 11, 2024. The animal went down and died the next day, but it was not tested for rabies. On May 13, another steer displayed strange symptoms, including drooling and lack of coordination. Suspecting rabies, the local veterinarian euthanized the steer and sent it to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for testing.
On April 21, 2024, another farm owner in Otter Tail County found a wound on the front left leg of her unvaccinated outdoor kitten. The kitten was euthanized on April 23 and tested positive for rabies at the North Dakota State University Diagnostic Laboratory on April 29. Earlier in April, the owner had noticed a skunk smell around the property, and the kitten had also smelled of skunk. Since nearly half of all Minnesota skunks tested for rabies carry the virus, a skunk bite was likely the source of the kitten’s infection.
On April 22, 2024, a cattle producer noticed odd behavior in one of his calves. The next day, a local veterinarian suspected rabies based on the symptoms described. The producer administered antibiotics while wearing gloves and avoiding contact with the calf’s mouth and saliva. The calf was found dead on April 24 and sent to the South Dakota State University Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Lab, where rabies was confirmed.
A pregnant cow from Rock County was suspected of having rabies and sent for testing on March 20, 2024. The farmer had initially contacted a veterinarian on March 14 after observing abnormal behavior in the cow. The veterinarian treated her for a possible intestinal blockage, but her condition worsened. By March 18, the cow was paralyzed and could not stand.
Erik Jopp, assistant director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, suggested that an unusually mild winter might be contributing to the increase in rabid skunks. Warmer winters allow the animals to stay active instead of hiding from the elements. Officials urge Minnesota residents to avoid skunks this summer and to vaccinate their pets and livestock if they haven’t already.
Rabies in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gathers and evaluates data on rabies cases in both animals and humans from state health departments. The latest report provides an overview of the rabies situation across various animal species in the country. In 2022, the CDC confirmed 42 rabies cases in U.S. cattle.
According to the report, wild animals are responsible for over 90 percent of reported rabies cases, with the primary carriers being bats (33 percent), raccoons (30 percent), skunks (20 percent), and foxes (7 percent). These animals are the most common sources of rabies exposure to humans and other animals.
»Related: Vampire bat invasion: A threat to the U.S. livestock industry?
