Minnesota on Thursday, June 6, reported its first case of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in a dairy herd in Benton County.

With detections in nearby South Dakota and Iowa dairy herds and a dramatic increase in avian influenza in the state, Minnesota’s State Veterinarian Brian Hoefs knew the likelihood was high.

“We knew it was only a matter of time before this detection would reach our doorstep,” he said in a Board of Animal Health news release. “It’s important for dairy farmers to follow the example of this herd and test sick cows. The more the animal health community can learn about this virus today through testing and research, the better we can equip ourselves to prevent infections tomorrow.”

Over the weekend, the producer noticed clinical signs in a handful of cows; the next day, more than 40 cows had signs of fever. Samples collected from sick cows in the herd on Monday were sent to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, where the virus was detected. The USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the results Wednesday night.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pasteurized dairy products remain safe to consume.

More than 80 dairy herds have been infected with the virus across 11 states since late March, and three dairy workers have tested positive for the virus.

Idaho, Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina have also confirmed cases of infected dairy herds.

Dairy cows with avian flu have died or been slaughtered by farmers after not recovering , Reuters reporting found. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the vast majority of cows recover from the illness.

Dairy farmers should monitor their herds and contact their veterinarian immediately if cows appear sick, according to the Board’s news release. HPAI symptoms in dairy mostly affect late-stage lactating cows and include fever, a drop in milk production, loss of appetite, and changes in manure consistency.

No matter the HPAI status of a herd, biosecurity can reduce the risk of disease spreading onto or off farms:

Consider stopping or delaying any cow movements and test for H5N1 before you move animals.
Milk any sick cows last, after your healthy herd.
Keep feed covered and clean up feed spills immediately.
Provide cows a clean source of water kept secure from wildlife, especially waterfowl.
Talk to your herd veterinarian if you notice any signs of illness in your animals.

Dairy farms are always required to dispose of milk from sick animals to remove it from the milk supply. In addition to disposing of milk from sick cows and isolating them, the Board quarantined the entire herd for 30 days to reduce the risk of disease spread off the farm. After 30 days from the last positive test result, the herd can be retested to be released from quarantine.

The risk to the public from this virus remains low at this time, the Board said. People who work with or have direct contact with infected animals could be at risk of getting sick. The Board is working closely with the Minnesota Department of Health on this response. MDH’s role is to monitor the health of people who have direct contact with infected animals and provide public health information and recommendations.

The CDC recommends people who work with infected or potentially infected animals wear personal protective equipment. More information is available on the CDC’s website . Farmers can request PPE from MDH. Symptoms of avian influenza in people may include cough, sore throat, fever, red/watery eyes or discharge from the eyes. People who have questions can contact MDH at 651-201-5414.

The Board will report any new detections and updates on cow cases in Minnesota on its website.

Uptick in poultry cases

The Board has also seen a recent rise in poultry cases in the state with eight sites confirmed positive in May. Early investigations from some of those sites reveal birds were infected with the same virus strain detected in cows across the country.

In the past 30 days, Minnesota has reported seven commercial flocks infected with avian influenza. The illness has affected about 1.5 million birds in that time.

Here’s a closer look at some of those poultry infections:

Stearns County had five confirmed cases in May involving turkey breeder hens and turkey meat birds, affecting over 100,000 birds.
A commercial table egg-layer flock in Meeker County was confirmed to be infected on May 21, affecting about 1.4 million birds.
A Morrison County commercial turkey meat bird flock was confirmed to be infected on May 21, affecting 51,000 birds.

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NORTH MANKATO – Forest Lake sophomore catcher Karianne Drury hadn’t hit a home run all season.

But with her team trailing 6-3 in the fifth inning of the Class 4A state semifinals, Drury knew her team needed a hit. She got her bat on a pitch down the middle and up in the zone, sent the ball up into the wind and sent it sailing over the fence to bring Forest Lake within one.

“I just knew I had to get it going,” Drury said. “I just had a lot of adrenaline pumping, and I got my team hyped that inning.”

Those are the types of moments that have powered the Rangers to three consecutive state tournament finals. But there weren’t quite enough of them Thursday to make it four straight, as Forest Lake fell 7-5 to third-seeded Rogers at Caswell Park.

Rogers will meet New Prague in the Class 4A title game at 10 a.m. Friday in North Mankato after the Royals tallied four runs on the strength of five hits in the first inning, and tacked on two more runs in the third. Rogers finished with 13 hits.

Rogers senior shortstop Lauren Freeberg led the charge with three hits and two runs scored.

“Just doing it for our team,” she said of Rogers’ success. “We’re all super, super good friends. All of my best friends are on this team, so just wanting to do it for each other, for my last season – I want to do it for the team.”

It certainly was a collective effort for Rogers (21-3), as each of the top eight batters in the order collected at least one hit as the Royals managed to produce against second-seeded Forest Lake’s top-two arms – Hannah Tong and Avery Muellner.

Forest Lake (19-5) battled back with offense of its own. Muellner and Tong each had two hits. After falling down 4-0, Ava Stenglein belted a three-run shot in the second to make it 4-3.

“We never give up. We’re all competitive and we want to win,” Drury said. “We knew what this meant for our seniors, and we just had to keep it going.”

But every time Forest Lake mounted a charge, Rogers had a response ready.

The Rangers will meet Rosemount in the third-place game at 9 a.m. Friday.

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The Mississippi River continued to rise Thursday at St. Paul. In response, the city has closed down some low-lying roads, barricaded local trails, and shut off certain water and sewage systems.

City House — a riverside bar and restaurant — is one of those businesses that had to turn off their water. But they’re still open for customers.

Instead of serving drinks in glasses, they’re served in plastic cups. Bathrooms with running water aren’t open, but three portable toilets are available. Soda guns can’t be used, so bottled soda is used instead. However, according to staff, there hasn’t been a real drop off in customers. With the weekend approaching, the staff expects it to be busy — and they’re prepared. A full-staff is expected to work and cups and bottles are fully stocked.

The city has a very “robust action plan” when it comes to monitoring rising water levels on the Mississippi River, according to Lisa Hiebert, public information officer for St. Paul Public Works.

All year round, water levels are monitored and necessary actions are taken when levels start to rise. To protect the underground and pump infrastructure, sanitary and storm sewer systems are shut off when water levels get to high, and local businesses and residents are informed, according to Hiebert.

Hiebert is unsure of when water will be turned back on.

The Mississippi River at St. Paul measured at 11.47 feet on Thursday. The river is expected to crest at 13.1 feet this weekend. Minor flood stage is reached at 14 feet.

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The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Woodbury, known for its arthouse films, expansive dinner menu and craft beer, closed Thursday after a Texas-based franchise operator filed for federal Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection, according to Minnesota Public Radio and other published reports.

Employees of franchise operator Two is One and One is None said they were taken aback as they shared news of the closings on social media on Thursday. Five of the six newly-shuttered locations are in North Texas.

“In 2023 our company lost over $1 million,” reads the social media post signed by Bill DiGaetano, chief executive officer of the 13-year-old company, who blamed its demise on the pandemic and the public’s changing theater habits. “This shutdown is expected to be permanent and all employees will be terminated.”

“It is breaking my heart that … this is where we are left,” added DiGaetano, who had led reporters on a tour of the location at the west edge of the Woodbury Lakes Mall when it opened in 2018.

Efforts to reach managers at the Woodbury location for comment were unsuccessful on Thursday.

A spokesperson for Alamo Drafthouse Cinema said in a statement to MPR News that the operators of the national cinema chain were “disappointed to learn today” of the business decision: “However, we are working as quickly as possible to get Alamo Drafthouse Cinema back up and running in these cities. All other Alamo Drafthouse locations are operating as normal, with continued expansion plans across the country.”

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