Minnesota Department of Health

Rabies Activity in the Upper Midwest

Recent detections of the North Central skunk variant of the rabies virus in cattle from Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, have prompted this notification. Rabies cases in livestock are relatively infrequent. However, they serve as indicators of active rabies virus transmission between skunk reservoirs and livestock within agricultural communities. This indicates ongoing circulation of the North Central skunk variant across the Upper Midwest. While rabid cattle have been de

Jul 141 min read

MDH Aligns Immunization Recommendations with Professional Medical Associations Instead of CDC

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will now align all of its immunization guidance with professional medical association recommendations rather than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The move comes after federal officials overhauled the childhood immunization schedule to reduce the number of routinely recommended vaccines. “This change at the federal level does not reflect the best available science. Medical association immunization schedules are e

Feb 31 min read

Protect Your Pets and Yourself from Rabies

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com Rabies primarily affects wild animals, but it can easily spread to domestic animals and livestock. Over the past year, 24 counties have confirmed cases of rabies. In 2024, there were 64 reported cases, and there have been 17 cases thus far in 2025. In Todd County, there were two reported cases in the past year: one in August 2024 and another in June 2025 involving a bat and a skunk. Wadena County reported one case in the past year, w

Nov 11, 20251 min read

Protect Your Pets and Yourself from Rabies

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com Rabies primarily affects wild animals, but it can easily spread to domestic animals and...

Aug 19, 20251 min read

MDH delays layoffs following issuance of temporary restraining order

On April 14, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced that layoffs made public at the beginning of April would be delayed as a...

Apr 29, 20251 min read

No Warning, No Support: Feds Slash Funding, Forcing Layoffs at MDH

Federal cuts will put the public health of Minnesotans at risk, impacting everything from support for nursing homes to response times to...

Apr 8, 20251 min read

State reports rate human death from rabies: Bats in Minnesota can have rabies

Health officials are reminding people that bats in Minnesota can have rabies and there are steps to take if you have potential contact...

Oct 2, 20241 min read