ST. PAUL, Minn. – A slight but worrisome uptick in rabies in southwest Minnesota this summer has promoted state agencies to encourage farmers and pet-owners to vaccinate their animals. Skunks are the most common rabies carrier. Recent cases:
> Pipestone County (Pipestone, county seat): Three skunks, one bovine.
> Nobles County (Worthington): One slunk.
> Rock County (Luverne): Two bovine.
>Murray County (Slayton): One skunk.
In central Minnesota three beef steers have tested positive, these in the St. Cloud area. So far this year the state Animal Health Board has recorded rabies in 14 bats, 12 skunks, six bovines and one cat. The total statewide in a typical year is three to five skunks and perhaps one bovine. There were 17 cases in this year in which people have undergone the series of four rabies shots as precautionary after bites or exposure an infected animal’s saliva.
Verbatim
Carrie Klumb: “We don’t know exactly why this is happening. We think a really mild winter might have allowed more of the skunk population to survive and interact and spread rabies.”
Klumb. State Health Department epidemiologist.