Episode Summary

In this episode, Andrew Hennenfent, Iowa’s State Public Health Veterinarian, expertly walks us through rabies risk assessment and prevention strategies tailored specifically to agritourism farms. We also hear from Carrie Klumb, Senior Epidemiologist from Minnesota’s Department of Health, who weighed in on rabies trends from her state. We break down which wildlife species pose the greatest threat, the main routes of transmission, and practical on‑farm prevention tactics. The guest also discusses clinical signs to watch for, the role of environmental factors, and the critical importance of immediate response and local health department coordination.

Episode Resources

• Updated Iowa Information at https://hhs.iowa.gov/center-acute-disease-epidemiology/rabies-information-public-providers-and-veterinarians (includes social media images for sharing and posters)
• Bats of Iowa Communications Toolkit
• MN Public Health website, including a video on how to safely capture a bat for rabies concerns: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/rabies/index.html