The owner of a horse in Mower County was witness to a progressive illness in his horse last week. The horse was noted to be weak and had difficulty rising. The animal began head pressing and occasionally fell down until it was no longer able to stand. The horse tested positive for rabies on January 4, making it the first animal to test positive in 2013. The rabies vaccination history of the animal is unknown.
The property owner has other horses, cattle and a dog. Exposures of these animals to the rabid horse are currently under investigation.
In 2012, two horses tested positive for rabies, one each from Traverse and Nobles Counties.