School of Veterinary Medicine
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Wisconsin Farms Working To Vaccinate Mink Against Coronavirus

Posted on Wisconsin Public Radio
Similar to the vaccines for humans, State Veterinarian Dr. Darlene Konkle said the vaccine for mink was approved by federal officials for experimental use because of the threat presented by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans. "So we don't have a lot of data yet on efficacy. But to have a vaccine available at all I think is a positive thing. We want to be able to have for mink farms any tool available to prevent the mink from being exposed," Konkle said.

Vilas Zoo Plans to Vaccinate Some Animals Against COVID-19 With Experimental Drug

Posted on Wisconsin State Journal
Mary Thurber, clinical instructor in zoological medicine at UW-Madison and Vilas’ primary veterinarian, said zookeepers continue to take precautions around animals potentially at risk of contracting COVID-19, including wearing facemasks. Veterinary staff have plenty of experience vaccinating animals at Vilas, she said, as it’s common to protect them against diseases such as rabies, distemper and the West Nile virus. “Our great apes do often receive some of the same vaccines humans do since they have some of the same susceptibilities,” Thurber said. “They’ll get vaccines like tetanus, sometimes we’ll do influenza vaccines for the great apes.”

US Bans Dogs Brought in From 100 Countries With Rabies Risk

Posted on WDVM 25
Douglas Kratt, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, applauded the decision. “We want to make sure we’re bringing healthy dogs into the country — especially if they are going to be pets,” said Kratt, a veterinarian in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Tuberculosis is a Rising Concern in U.S. Cattle Herds

Posted on Dairy Herd Management
TB infection in a herd can be financially devastating, according to Dr. Keith Poulsen, Director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin. “Not only does the disease take a toll on animal health and productivity, but it can endanger workers and limit animal sales by the farm,” Poulsen explained. “Herds confirmed infected will be placed under quarantine with routine, required testing and limited animal movement, probably for several years.”

Henry Vilas Zoo Plans to Vaccinate Animals Against COVID-19

Posted on WMTV NBC 15

The Henry Vilas Zoo says it is talking to a vet pharmaceutical company in hopes of immunizing its animals against coronavirus.

Mary Thurber, a zoo veterinarian, said the animals that have been most vulnerable to the virus include big cats, primates and otters. While zoo officials say none of its animals have gotten COVID-19, they are planning to vaccinate some species with an experimental drug from Zoetis.

“Being able to prevent an infection would be obviously better than having to treat one,” Thurber said.

You Can Pass COVID to Your Cat, Study Finds

Posted on U.S. News & World Report
If your cat does get infected following exposure to human COVID-19, is serious illness a given? No, said Keith Poulsen, director of the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, in Madison. "Clinical disease with COVID for domesticated pets is very uncommon," Poulsen said. "We don't test all of our animals, but we have collaborated in studies with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and know that pets in households with COVID have a good chance of testing positive for COVID. But they rarely show any clinical signs and do not require veterinary intervention, in our data. The only outlier here are ferrets and mink. They get sick with COVID."

Your Pets Can Catch Coronavirus but Probably Don’t Spread It, Research Finds

Posted on Spectrum News
“People don’t live in a vacuum,” said Keith Poulsen, the director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at UW-Madison. “When you have an infectious disease come through, we have households of mammals, and that includes people, dogs, cats.” For the past year, Poulsen and his lab have been testing animal samples from all across the country, trying to help get a handle on whether our furry friends can get infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus — and, in turn, whether they could spread it back to humans.