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Keeping animals safe during fair

A veterinarian says when people and animals come together during fair week there’s a greater risk for zoonotic diseases.

James Averill,  state veterinarian for Michigan, tells Brownfield zoonotic diseases can pass between humans and animals, and this year swine influenza H3N2 has shown up at three county fairs so far.  “They’re off feed, they’re not drinking as much, they’ll have an elevated temperature, they might have a unique cough.”  Averill says the strain that has been found is being monitored closely and does occasionally affect commercial pigs, but it is not the highly pathogenic H1N1 strain that hit the pork industry hard several years ago.  He says while swine influenza is not a threat to food safety or the commercial pork industry at this time, pigs with an elevated temperature do not enter the food chain.

Averill says poultry exhibits were banned from fairs in Michigan and several other states last year because of the threat of avian influenza, but this year the birds are back with more emphasis on biosecurity.  “While still having poultry back on exhibit, they’re keeping some of those same activities they put in place last year such as poster contests and quiz bowls and so forth for the youth that are exhibiting poultry.”

Averill recommends not eating or drinking while walking through barns or working with livestock, and washing hands after interacting with animals to reduce the spread of diseases.

AUDIO: Interview with Dr. James Averill