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Protecting animal and human health

When we have hot and dry conditions like we’ve been having, it’s not unusual for both pigs and humans to get the flu, and because it’s a virus, State Veterinarian in Ohio, Dr. Tony Forshey says it’s possible for humans to transmit the flu virus to pigs or pigs can transmit the virus to humans.

“All fair animals are monitored for illness and signs of flu like symptoms, they’re checked by veterinarians every day when they are at the fair,” said Dr. Forshey. “Fairs are fun and they are safe to attend, so people should not be afraid of this, it’s just a normal thing.”

While visiting the Ohio State Fair, or your county fair, Dr. Forshey reminds fairgoers to just use some common sense.

“We certainly encourage you to not be hesitant to go into the barns where livestock are, just wash your hands, it’s a common sense thing,” Forshey said. “We play with our pets, we wash our hands before we eat, just use some common sense.”

Ohio’s State Veterinarian also reminds livestock exhibitors to pay attention to their animals and use good biosecurity measures.

“Make sure they disinfect their trailers and equipment and their show boxes and feed pans and all those things and then just watch for any illness in their pigs,” the State Veterinarian said. “There are a lot of things they can do proactively and if they have some issues certainly get a hold of us or a fair veterinarian and have them checked out.”

For fairgoer convenience, hand sanitizing stations are located throughout the O’Neill Swine Barn and various other locations throughout the Ohio State Fairgrounds.

Audio: Dr. Tony Forshey, State Veterinarian, Ohio (4:05 mp3)