MINNESOTA BOARD OF ANIMAL HEALTH

Minnesota goat is first in the country to test positive for avian influenza virus

Staff reports — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 17:22:31 GMT

ST. PAUL — A Stevens County juvenile goat residing on a farm with a highly pathogenic avian influenza-positive poultry flock tested positive for the same virus.

This is the first U.S. detection of HPAI in a domestic ruminant (cattle, sheep, goats and their relatives), according to a news release from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. All poultry on the property were already quarantined from the February avian influenza detection. Stevens County is located in west-central Minnesota.

Following the confirmation of flu in the goat, the board quarantined all other species on the premises. The board is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate the transmission of the virus in this case.

“This finding is significant because, while the spring migration is definitely a higher risk transmission period for poultry, it highlights the possibility of the virus infecting other animals on farms with multiple species,” state veterinarian Dr. Brian Hoefs said in the news release. “Thankfully, research to-date has shown mammals appear to be dead-end hosts, which means they’re unlikely to spread HPAI further.”

Earlier this month, the owner notified the board of unusual deaths of newly kidded goats on the property where a backyard poultry flock was depopulated due to avian influenza in February. The goats and poultry had access to the same space, including a shared water source.

One of the goat carcasses was taken to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, where it tested positive for influenza A. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories later confirmed H5N1 HPAI, the same virus circulating in the national outbreak that began in 2022. Samples from the adult goats were negative for HPAI, and all appear healthy. No more sick goat kids have been reported since March 11, according to the Board of Animal Health.

HPAI has been previously diagnosed in other mammalian species such as skunks, dogs and cats, according to the board. Animals with weakened or immature immune systems, like the goat kids in this case, are at higher risk of contracting disease.

There has been limited experimental data on HPAI infection in ruminants, and there are no prior reports of natural HPAI infection in goats. The USDA has tracked more than 200 detections of HPAI in mammals across the country since the start of the 2022 HPAI outbreak.

The Minnesota Department of Health provided recommendations for personal protective equipment and is monitoring the health of those in direct contact with the infected goats. Anyone who develops respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms after exposure to the goats may be voluntarily tested for avian influenza and other respiratory pathogens.

The risk to the public is extremely low, and any risk of infection is limited to people in direct contact with infected animals. To date, no people in the United States have become ill following contact with mammals infected with this virus.

Biosecurity is the first line of defense for anyone to protect their animals from disease and includes simple measures like cleaning equipment and housing regularly, separating livestock from wild animals, and calling your veterinarian when animals appear sick.

To learn more important steps to protect animals from HPAI and other diseases, visit the Board’s biosecurity webpage. For more information on the board’s work to combat the spread of HPAI in Minnesota, please visit their response webpage.

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Avian flu confirmed in egg-laying flock in Wright County

Levi Jones — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 23:31:55 GMT

ST. PAUL — Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in Wright County. The disease was confirmed Nov. 3 in a commercial table egg-layer operation.

The flock of around 940,000 birds was quarantined as of Oct. 31, and a control zone has been set up by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.

With this outbreak, Minnesota is up to 1.3 million birds affected by the avian flu this fall.

While this is the first case in Minnesota confirmed so far in November, cases across the state through October have put control zones across the state, including in Wright, Meeker, Redwood and Kandiyohi counties, according to information from the Board of Animal Health. These zones also affect parts of Yellow Medicine, Stearns, Renville and McLeod counties.

Farmers in the affected areas are asked to review their biosecurity measures and be vigilant for signs of avian influenza. If symptoms are seen within a flock, farmers are asked to contact their veterinarian.

According to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, symptoms include:

Decrease in feed or water intake Swelling or purple discoloration of head, eyelids, comb, wattle and hocks Decrease in egg production Sudden unexplained death Extreme depression Very quiet Difficulty breathing
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Avian flu cases reported in Meeker, Kandiyohi and Redwood counties in October

Levi Jones — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 18:46:38 GMT

WILLMAR — After a flock of 114,000 birds was found by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza as of Oct. 11, more cases have been found in Minnesota in the past two weeks.

On Oct. 24, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported a flock of 53,000 turkeys in Kandiyohi County had been infected. The infected flock has been quarantined as of Oct. 19.

Other west central Minnesota reported cases of avian influenza include an infection of another Meeker County flock totaling more than 71,000 birds reported Oct. 13; and an Oct. 18 outbreak in a flock of 8,853 birds in Redwood County.

Statewide, infections have been found in Blue Earth and Becker counties.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Minnesota has a total of 330,000 affected birds. This makes up around a third of the reported 0.93 million birds affected nationwide. The majority of these infections have come from commercial flocks.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health has recommended farmers take precautions to ensure their birds remain healthy. This includes reviewing biosecurity measures, and contacting veterinarians if any symptoms are found in a flock.

Symptoms include:

Decrease in feed or water intake; Swelling or purple discoloration of head, eyelids, comb, wattle and hocks; Decrease in egg production; Sudden unexplained death; Extreme depression; Very quiet; Difficulty breathing.

Quarantines have been placed around the reported flocks. Farmers within an area extending 10 kilometers from these flocks must meet control area standards. Currently, control areas include northern Kandiyohi County, eastern Meeker County and northern Redwood County, with some extending into neighboring counties.

Avian influenza commonly arises in the fall between September and April, according to Minnesota Board of Animal Health data.

For more information on avian influenza or to check if you are within a control zone, check the Minnesota Board of Animal Health website.

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West Nile virus infects two horses in west-central Minn.; one dies

Staff reports — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 19:24:16 GMT

WILLMAR — Two horses in west-central Minnesota contracted West Nile virus this week, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported Friday.

One horse, a 1-year-old quarter-horse colt, was unvaccinated and died from complications related to the illness. The other is a 21-year-old mare who recently received a West Nile virus booster dose prior to its infection and is recovering, according to a news release from the Board of Health.

The detections occurred on separate farms in Kandiyohi County. The virus is believed to be circulating in mosquitoes in the area. Infected horses cannot spread the virus to people or other horses.

“Vaccination is the best way to protect horses from West Nile virus,” Dr. Heather Damico, senior veterinarian in charge of equine, said in the news release. “Historically, a lot of the reported cases we deal with in horses are either unvaccinated or undervaccinated, which means they didn’t receive their annual booster shot. Vaccines can prevent infection or reduce severity of disease if the horse is infected.”

West Nile virus is regularly found in Minnesota during the summer, and birds serve as the primary hosts of the disease. The virus circulates between infected birds and mosquitoes. Once infected, the mosquitoes can transmit the virus to horses or people.

The virus can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Infected horses may or may not show neurological symptoms including muscle tremors and lack of coordination.

In addition to vaccinations, horse owners can reduce environmental risks of West Nile virus by reducing mosquitoes:

Change water in drinking troughs every week. Mow long grass. Drain stagnant water puddles. Remove items mosquitoes use for breeding grounds, including old tires and tin cans. Place and maintain screens over windows and stable doors. Use mosquito repellents to protect horses and people from mosquito bites.

This is a high-risk time of year for West Nile virus transmission. The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District has already reported West Nile virus in routine mosquito samples in several metro counties this summer, according to the release.

The virus has been detected, the board says, so don’t wait to vaccinate. Non-negative test results for West Nile virus disease must be reported to the Board of Animal Health.

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Minnesota veterinarian continues push to pass a veterinary technician licensure bill

Shelby Lindrud — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 17:02:00 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — The students enrolled in the veterinary technology program at Ridgewater College in Willmar are passionate about animals and work hard to successfully complete the rigorous coursework set to them.

"I want to be around animals; I don't see myself in any other profession," said Sydney Offerdahl, a second-year vet tech student at Ridgewater.

So it can be a bit demoralizing to know the state of Minnesota doesn't acknowledge that hard work by requiring veterinary technicians to be licensed by the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine. It can be especially galling when you consider the state requires a license to cut hair.

"You want to be recognized for how much work you did for school," said Raya Peterson, a second-year vet tech student at Ridgewater.

Minnesota is one of only 10 states that doesn't regulate its veterinary technicians. The Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association does offer a voluntary certification process for vet tech graduates, but there is no mandated requirements that veterinary technicians must complete or meet to be able to practice.

"Veterinarians can hire virtually anybody off the street and call them veterinary technicians," whether they've gone through the schooling or not, said Dr. Allen Balay.

Balay, an award-winning veterinarian from New London, is the president of the MVMA Veterinary Technician Committee, and has been working to help establish a state license for veterinary technicians since he moved to Minnesota in 1995. The quest will require legislation to be passed by the Minnesota Legislature and signed by the governor.

"This is coming from veterinarians and veterinary technicians," Balay said. "Veterinarians believe this is the right thing to do."

Amending the law

The MVMA is proposing to amend the Minnesota Veterinary Practice Act. The changes would include adding a definition for veterinary technician into the statute and requiring that only persons who are licensed by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health would carry the title of veterinary technician. All other unlicensed workers in a vet clinic would be considered veterinary assistants.

"The public assumes that the person must be competent, must be qualified and had the education," and the proposed law would make that assumption correct, Balay said.

To become a licensed veterinary technician, an individual will need to graduate from an American Veterinary Medical Association accredited program, pass the National Veterinary Technician Examination, pass an open book jurisprudence exam and pass a criminal background check. To renew the license, a veterinary technician would need to obtain at least 15 hours of continuing education credits every two years.

"It is not easy, but it is fun," said Katrina Dummer, a second-year student at Ridgewater, about going through the vet tech program. "It's not just playing with puppies and kittens."

The bill would include a grandfather clause, allowing all current certified veterinary technicians to apply to be licensed, as long as they are practicing, performed at least 4,160 hours of experience (within the previous five years) and have a letter of recommendation from a licensed veterinarian stating their competency. After the grandfather clause expires, anyone wanting to be a veterinary technician in Minnesota would need to go through the licensure process.

Why license?

Veterinary technicians do much of the behind-the-scenes work at veterinary clinics. A vet tech often administers medication, cares for the animals and acts as an assistant during surgery — including working as the anesthetist. Having the state license veterinary technicians would mean owners could feel comfortable knowing the people helping care for their beloved pet or keeping animals in the food chain healthy are trained to do so.

"It is really hard to ensure the best care for your animal when you don't know who is taking care of them," said Abigail Ronkainen, a second-year vet tech student. "When you walk into a vet clinic, you don't know if the tech went to school. You don't know what they know."

A licensed veterinary technician would need to successfully complete a college program and take 15 hours of continuing education credits every two years. This means they would remain up-to-date on the latest medications, treatments and illnesses, including infectious illnesses, such as canine parvovirus or zoonotic diseases, that can jump from animals to humans or between different species of animals. A licensed veterinary technician would also have training in how to deal with animals coming in with infectious diseases and other emergencies.

"We would hopefully know what to do," Dummer said.

In the next decade, a large shortage of veterinarians is expected to hit the United States, as the baby boomers continue to retire. It will be especially noticeable in care for large animals, such as horses, cows and pigs.

"We are on the cusp of a big shortage of veterinarians. We are expecting a shortage of 10,000 to 15,000 vets by 2030," Balay said. "There are not going to be enough veterinarians to take care of our food supply."

Having a licensed veterinary technician could help with that crushing workload, as techs would be able to do more at the vet's office without the veterinarian having to directly supervise. As long as the veterinarian was available by phone, the veterinary technician could get an animal ready for surgery or start treatment for an illness or injury. It could save time and allow veterinarians to do more and see more animals in a day.

Passing the law

The journey to get a veterinary technician license law passed in St. Paul has been a long one and, as of yet, not successful.

Balay and the MVMA committee were able to get a bill introduced in the House and Senate in 2021, but it never got a committee hearing. This year they are trying again and have reintroduced the bill, HF 1037.

Over the last few months, proponents of the bill, including Balay, have been meeting with Minnesota legislators from both parties, hoping to grow support. Veterinary health matters must go through not only the Health and Human Services Committee of both the House and Senate but the Agriculture Committee as well.

"We've got to prepare. It is very fluid and dynamic right now," Balay said.

There has been an effort to get more stakeholder support as well. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America have signed letters of support. Balay continues to think up ways to spread the word and encourage people to contact their state representatives and senators in support of the measure.

"If you get enough contact from constituents saying this is a good thing, legislators can be impacted on," Balay said.

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West Nile virus confirmed in Kandiyohi County horse

Forum News Service — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 22:12:34 GMT

ST. PAUL — A horse from Kandiyohi County that was euthanized in late July due to deteriorating neurologic conditions has been confirmed positive for West Nile virus, the first reported case of 2022 in Minnesota.

According to the state Board of Animal Health, post-mortem tests were ordered to confirm a cause of death for the unvaccinated, 4-year-old Quarter Horse mare.

More than 30 other horses are boarded at the same facility and the owner reports they are all current on their West Nile virus vaccinations and appear healthy at this time, the board said in a news release.

This is a high-risk time of year for West Nile virus transmission, the board said, but infected horses cannot spread the virus to people or other horses.

The virus can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Infected horses may or may not show neurological symptoms and may recover completely, especially those who have a history of annual vaccination.

“This is an unfortunate, preventable, outcome from a disease we see pop up pretty much every year around this time,” said Dr. Brian Hoefs, senior veterinarian of the Equine Program, in the release. “Horse owners and their veterinarians should keep a routine vaccination program, including West Nile virus, to reduce the risk of preventable diseases and increase the animal’s chances of recovering fully if they’re infected.”

West Nile virus is regularly found in the U.S., and birds serve as the primary host of the disease, according to the Board of Animal Health. The virus circulates between infected birds and mosquitoes. Once infected, the mosquitoes can transmit the virus to horses or people.

In addition to vaccinations horse owners can reduce environmental risks of West Nile virus by reducing mosquitoes:

Change water in drinking troughs every week. Mow long grass. Drain stagnant water puddles. Remove items mosquitoes use for breeding grounds, like old tires and tin cans. Place and maintain screens over windows and stable doors. Use mosquito repellents to protect horses and people from mosquito bites.]]>

With four additional sites, Minnesota passes 3 million birds affected by H5N1 avian influenza

Kit Grode — Tue, 24 May 2022 20:14:54 GMT

WILLMAR, Minnesota — Four new sites have been added to the Board of Animal Health's list of confirmed cases of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza, bringing the state's total to 79 sites in 28 counties.

Two new confirmations — a backyard flock of 24 birds in Clay County and a commercial flock of 4,744 turkey breeder toms in Kandiyohi County — were announced Thursday, May 19, in an update from the state Board of Animal Health. The site in Clay County is the first from that county; the Kandiyohi County site marks the first time a flock of breeder turkey toms has been affected.

Two additional sites — a backyard flock of 46 birds in Polk County and a 57,000-bird commercial turkey meat operation in Dakota County — were announced Monday, marking the first sites in both affected counties.

The Board of Animal Health tally as of Tuesday shows 3,008,799 affected birds. Infected flocks are depopulated.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines depopulation as "when large numbers of animals must be destroyed in response to an animal health emergency."

The two main methods are water-based foam for floor-raised birds and carbon dioxide gas for caged birds. USDA says they are the most humane and effective options available in an emergency situation involving mass numbers of birds.

The vast majority of infections in Minnesota have been in commercial meat turkey operations. Other production types with confirmed diagnoses, according to the Board of Animal Health, have been four commercial turkey breeder hen flocks, three located in Kandiyohi County and one in Stearns County; two commercial chicken operations in Morrison County — one broiler flock and one egg layer flock; and 18 backyard producers.

The board's web page devoted to avian flu response in the state — bah.state.mn.us/hpai — is updated at noon each weekday with the information that is known about infection sites. Data from previous days also may be updated by quality control staff if more accurate information is gathered later.

The first Minnesota cases of the disease — which is fatal to domestic poultry — were confirmed March 25.

A total of 28 counties in the state have been impacted so far. The other affected counties are Anoka, Becker, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Carver, Chisago, Crow Wing, Dodge, Grant, Lac qui Parle, LeSueur, Lyon, Meeker, Morrison, Mower, Otter Tail, Renville, Rice, Stearns, Swift, Todd, Waseca and Yellow Medicine.

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More backyard producers infected with avian flu as Minnesota reaches 70 sites, approaches 2.9M birds

Susan Lunneborg — Tue, 10 May 2022 22:22:53 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — Minnesota is approaching 2.9 million birds impacted by avian flu, with four additional sites of confirmed infection identified since last week.

Three of the four new sites announced by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health since last week were small backyard poultry producers and the fourth was a Lyon County flock of 118,900 commercial meat turkeys, the first site in that county with a confirmed diagnosis, on May 3.

The backyard producers reported since last week were in Chisago County, 30 birds, confirmed May 3; Carver County, also 30 birds, confirmed May 4; and 10 birds in Anoka County, confirmed May 6.

There are now 70 total sites confirmed in the state, and the Board of Animal Health's tally of confirmed diagnoses of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza as of Tuesday afternoon stands at 2,894,652.

The first Minnesota cases of the disease — which is fatal to domestic poultry — were confirmed March 25. Flocks that are infected are destroyed.

The Board of Animal Health's web page devoted to avian flu response in the state — which can be found at bah.state.mn.us/hpai — is updated by noon each weekday with the information that is known about poultry infection sites. Data from previous days also may be updated by quality control staff if more accurate information is gathered later.

Recently, several more backyard producers have been confirmed, and that production category now stands at 13 sites, according to that web page. Commercial meat turkey operations remain the vast majority of the 70 sites statewide. There have now been four sites of commercial turkey breeder hens, and two chicken flocks in Morrison County, one broiler and one egg layer operation.

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