Livestock Disease Reporting in Minnesota: Rules, Requirements, and Responsibilities

Minnesota’s livestock industry supports billions of dollars in agricultural output each year, and one of the most important tools protecting that industry is a mandatory disease reporting system backed by state law. If a contagious or infectious disease appears in your herd, you are legally required to act — and act immediately.

This guide walks you through every layer of Minnesota’s livestock disease reporting framework: which diseases trigger a report, who bears the legal duty to report, what signs should prompt action, how to contact the right authorities, and what consequences follow if you fail to comply.

Reportable Livestock Diseases in Minnesota

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) maintains the official list of reportable animal diseases in the state. Diseases listed are to be reported for all domestic species except where otherwise noted. The BAH publishes this list on its website and makes a printable PDF version available for producers and veterinarians to keep on hand.

The list covers a broad range of conditions, spanning bacterial, viral, parasitic, and prion-based diseases. Below is a representative overview of the major categories and diseases included.

Anthrax is a naturally occurring disease of animals caused by bacteria. It is not spread by animal-to-animal contact like many other livestock diseases; rather, anthrax spores in the soil are likely ingested by livestock while they graze on pasture. Since 2000, all positive anthrax cases in Minnesota have been confined to the northwest part of the state.

Johne’s disease is a contagious, chronic, and sometimes fatal infection that primarily affects the small intestine of cattle. Brucellosis, another key reportable disease, is a bacterial disease that affects multiple animal species and can spread to humans, making it one of the most consequential zoonotic diseases in livestock agriculture.

Minnesota also participates in the federal disease reporting framework. The National Animal Health Reporting System (NAHRS) is the only comprehensive reporting system for WOAH-reportable diseases in the United States, and Minnesota’s BAH feeds data into that system for qualifying diseases.

Who Is Required to Report a Livestock Disease in Minnesota

Minnesota law casts a wide net when it comes to reporting obligations. The duty does not fall only on veterinarians — it extends to anyone with knowledge or reasonable suspicion of a reportable condition.

Under Minn. Stat. § 35.06, a person who knows or reasonably suspects that a contagious or infectious disease exists in a domestic animal shall immediately notify the board. The companion administrative rule reinforces this: Minn. R. 1721.0020 Subpart 7 states that a person who knows or reasonably suspects that an animal is infected with a disease listed on the board’s reportable animal diseases list must immediately report that knowledge or suspicion to the board.

In practical terms, the following individuals carry a reporting obligation in Minnesota:

• Livestock owners and operators — Anyone who owns or manages cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, equines, farmed cervidae, or other domestic animals
• Licensed and accredited veterinarians — Practitioners who examine animals and identify or suspect a reportable condition
• Livestock handlers and farm employees — Workers who observe clinical signs in animals under their care
• Laboratory personnel — Diagnostic labs that receive samples yielding positive or suspect results for reportable diseases
• Livestock market operators and dealers — Persons overseeing the movement or sale of animals at community sales or auctions
• Slaughterhouse workers — Individuals who identify suspect conditions during ante-mortem or post-mortem inspection

Veterinarians, laboratory personnel, and slaughterhouse workers — the groups with the highest occupational exposure — bear particular responsibility for recognizing and reporting potential infections. Failure to report a suspected case can delay the identification of an animal source and increase the risk of additional human exposures.

For diseases with bovine-specific implications, veterinarians play a particularly active surveillance role. Positive test results from Minnesota cattle are reportable to the Board, and the Board follows up on these suspect samples by investigating the herd of origin and testing the herd for brucellosis if necessary.

Signs and Symptoms That Trigger a Report in Minnesota

Because the reporting duty activates at the point of reasonable suspicion, you need to know which clinical signs are significant enough to require action. No single symptom automatically confirms a reportable disease, but certain presentations should prompt an immediate call to your veterinarian and, in many cases, directly to the BAH.

The following are common warning signs across major livestock species that can indicate a reportable condition:

Cattle and Bison

• Sudden unexplained death, especially multiple animals in a short period
• Abortions, stillbirths, or birth of weak or underweight calves
• Significant drop in milk production without apparent cause
• Blistering or ulcerations on the mouth, feet, or teats
• Neurological signs: circling, head pressing, aggression, or inability to stand
• Severe bloody diarrhea or rapid-onset systemic illness

Infected animals can experience abortions, give birth to weak or underweight calves, and have decreased milk production. These signs are associated with brucellosis and should be reported to your herd veterinarian and the BAH.

Swine

• High fever combined with skin discoloration or hemorrhagic lesions
• Sudden death in multiple animals
• Vesicular lesions on the snout, feet, or mouth
• Reproductive failure or increased piglet mortality

Poultry

• Rapid, unexplained flock mortality
• Severe respiratory distress, swelling of the head or wattles
• Sudden and dramatic drop in egg production
• Neurological signs such as twisting of the neck or inability to walk

Real-world examples illustrate how these signs play out. A backyard flock in Le Sueur County experienced a loss of birds and contacted their veterinarian. The veterinarian forwarded samples to the University of Minnesota, which identified H5 suspect results. Samples were sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories, which confirmed HPAI.

For Newcastle disease and other highly contagious avian conditions, even a modest increase in mortality or a sudden behavioral change in the flock can be enough to trigger a report obligation under Minnesota rules.

Equines

• Neurological signs: ataxia, weakness, or altered mentation
• Fever with muscle stiffness or difficulty swallowing
• Positive or non-negative Coggins test result for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA)

A veterinarian in Washington County was called to perform Coggins testing and write health certificates for change of ownership on three ponies. Two of the ponies tested non-negative for EIA at a private laboratory, prompting samples to be retested by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories for confirmation. The NVSL confirmed EIA in mid-May and reported the results to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.

How to Report a Livestock Disease in Minnesota

Reporting a livestock disease in Minnesota is straightforward. The primary contact is the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, and the process does not require you to have a confirmed diagnosis before reaching out.

Step 1: Call the Board of Animal Health Directly

Call the Board of Animal Health at 651-296-2942. This is the primary reporting line for all suspected reportable animal diseases in the state. The BAH operates during regular business hours, and field staff are distributed across the state to respond to reports efficiently.

Step 2: Contact Your Accredited Veterinarian

If you have a herd veterinarian, contact them simultaneously. Your veterinarian can perform an on-site examination, collect diagnostic samples, and coordinate directly with the BAH. Your veterinarian can inspect your herd and recommend options to determine the cause, including screening for brucellosis if your veterinarian determines your herd may have been exposed.

Step 3: Restrict Animal Movement Immediately

While awaiting official guidance, do not move potentially affected animals off your premises. Voluntary movement restriction before a formal quarantine is issued protects you legally and prevents further disease spread. When a disease investigation occurs, animal health officials need to be able to trace affected animals quickly to ensure diseases are eliminated and the impact on Minnesota’s industry is minimized. Complete, legible records are crucial to effectively tracing livestock.

Step 4: Preserve Evidence and Records

Do not dispose of carcasses before the BAH has authorized disposal. Under Minnesota law, every person owning or controlling any domestic animal that has died or been killed otherwise than by being slaughtered for human or animal consumption shall, as soon as reasonably possible, bury the carcass at a depth adequate to prevent scavenging by other animals in the ground or thoroughly burn it or dispose of it by another method approved by the board as being effective for the protection of public health and the control of livestock diseases.

Step 5: Cooperate with Field Staff

Once a report is filed, a BAH district veterinarian or field representative will follow up. You can consult the BAH website under Find Field Staff Nearby to find the closest Minnesota Board of Animal Health field personnel that can assist with answering questions.

If you raise livestock in other states as well, note that reporting procedures vary by jurisdiction. You can review how neighboring states handle these obligations by looking at guides for livestock disease reporting in Michigan, livestock disease reporting in Illinois, and livestock disease reporting in Colorado for comparison.

Reporting Deadlines and Timeframes in Minnesota

Minnesota does not set a multi-day window for livestock disease reporting. The standard established by both statute and administrative rule is immediate reporting.

Minn. Stat. § 35.06 requires that a person who knows or reasonably suspects that a contagious or infectious disease exists in a domestic animal shall immediately notify the board. The administrative rule mirrors this language: a person who knows or reasonably suspects that an animal is infected with a disease listed on the board’s reportable animal diseases list must immediately report that knowledge or suspicion to the board.

The word “immediately” is the operative standard. In practice, this means:

• You should not wait for laboratory confirmation before reporting
• You should not delay to consult with others or assess the financial implications
• You should not wait until regular business hours if you observe signs after hours — leave a message or use any after-hours contact option provided by the BAH
• Reporting the same day you observe suspicious signs is the expected standard

There is no grace period or tiered timeline based on disease severity. Whether the suspected condition is a foreign animal disease like foot-and-mouth disease or a more endemic condition like anthrax, the immediacy requirement applies equally. This is consistent with how states like Florida and California also structure their reporting timelines for high-priority livestock conditions.

What Happens After You Report in Minnesota

Once you contact the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, a structured response process begins. The speed and scope of that response depends on the disease suspected, but all reports trigger a formal follow-up.

Initial Investigation

A BAH district veterinarian will be assigned to your case. They will visit your premises, conduct a clinical examination of affected animals, and collect diagnostic samples if not already gathered. The BAH works closely with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Animal Health and Food Safety and the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) for confirmatory testing on suspect foreign animal diseases.

Quarantine Authority

The board shall quarantine and require isolation of any domestic animal infected with, exposed to, or which shows clinical signs of a contagious or infectious dangerous disease if it is necessary to protect the health of the domestic animals of the state. No person except the owner, attendants, or agent of the board shall enter any enclosures where quarantined and isolated livestock are being kept without prior approval of the board.

A quarantine restricts movement of animals onto and off your premises. When a quarantine is issued, a compliance representative delivers an acknowledgment form to the affected person. If you sign and comply with the form, the temporary movement restrictions may not continue longer than 30 days. For anthrax specifically, when anthrax is confirmed on a Minnesota farm, district veterinarians place a quarantine on the herd, and the quarantine can be released 30 days after the last animal death due to anthrax.

Disease Control Zones

The board shall designate disease control zones and determine their size and location if it is necessary to protect the health of the domestic animals of the state. Within a disease control zone, the board may require owners of livestock to obtain a permit or movement certificate from the board prior to movement of livestock onto or off any premises, and complete and follow the recommendations of a wildlife risk assessment conducted in a manner approved by the board.

Depopulation and Indemnity

In the most serious cases — particularly confirmed foreign animal diseases or highly pathogenic avian influenza — depopulation of affected animals may be required. The flock may be depopulated and the site quarantined, and must go through a fallow period and environmental sampling before it may restock poultry or other birds. State and federal indemnity programs may compensate producers for condemned animals in qualifying circumstances, though compensation is not automatic and depends on the specific disease program involved.

Vaccination Orders

The board may require vaccination of animals if it is necessary to protect the health of the domestic animals of the state. This action shall be taken only on the affirmative vote of all five board members at a regularly scheduled meeting of the board. Vaccination of animals is to be performed at the owner’s expense unless state or federal funds are available for this purpose.

Penalties for Failing to Report in Minnesota

Minnesota takes non-compliance with livestock disease reporting obligations seriously. Penalties span criminal, civil, and administrative categories, and the consequences can be severe regardless of whether the failure was intentional.

Criminal Penalties

A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor if the person knowingly violates this chapter or a standard, a special order, stipulation, agreement, or schedule of compliance of the Board of Animal Health. Under Minnesota law, a gross misdemeanor can carry up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $3,000.

Additional criminal exposure arises under Minnesota Statutes § 35.96, which governs penalties for violations of animal health rules broadly, and under §§ 17A.04 and 35.05, which address violations of Board rules and orders. Quarantine violations are specifically addressed under § 35.0662.

Civil Liability

Beyond criminal exposure, you face direct civil liability if your violation causes harm to another party. A transportation company, vehicle owner, driver, or any person who violates §§ 35.15 or 35.16 is liable in a civil action for the full amount of damages that result from that violation. The injured party may bring the action in any county where the livestock was sold, offered for sale, delivered to a purchaser, or detained in transit.

This means that if a disease spreads to a neighboring operation because you failed to report or moved quarantined animals, you can be held financially responsible for that producer’s losses — including the value of condemned animals, lost production, and testing costs.

Administrative Consequences

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health holds broad statutory authority to quarantine or destroy any domestic animal that is infected with or has been exposed to a contagious or infectious dangerous disease when doing so is necessary to protect the health of livestock statewide. The Board may also regulate or prohibit the movement of infected or exposed animals into or out of the state, and may detain any animal at the owner’s expense if movement rules are violated.

Administrative consequences can include:

• Mandatory quarantine of your entire premises at your expense
• Forced depopulation of affected or exposed animals without indemnity in cases of willful non-compliance
• Revocation of livestock dealer, market, or rendering plant permits
• Denial of future permits or licenses from the BAH
• Loss of disease-free status designations that affect your ability to move animals interstate

Broader Industry Impact

The consequences for violating Minnesota’s animal health laws are serious and span criminal, civil, and administrative categories. The penalty structure is intentionally designed to deter the kinds of noncompliance — unreported reactors, falsified test records, unauthorized movement of quarantined animals — that could compromise the disease-free status the entire state depends on.

Minnesota’s agricultural economy depends on maintaining clean disease status for interstate and international trade. A single unreported outbreak that spreads unchecked can trigger trade restrictions, market closures, and widespread financial losses far beyond the original premises. Prompt, accurate reporting is not just a legal requirement — it is a shared responsibility that protects every livestock producer in the state.

For a broader look at how animal disease obligations intersect with other conditions, see the site’s resources on livestock disease reporting in Florida and general guidance on zoonotic disease risks that affect both animals and the people who work with them.