Five Steers, One Skunk, and a $35,000 Wake Up Call: What a Minnesota Rabies Cluster Means for Cattle Vets

Rabies is often framed as a wildlife or small animal concern, but a 2024 outbreak on a Minnesota dairy farm is a reminder that production animal veterinarians are very much on the front lines. During a four week period in May, five steers on a single dairy farm developed neurologic disease consistent with rabies. What followed was a complex response involving euthanasia, quarantine, vaccination, human postexposure prophylaxis, and significant economic loss.