Avian Influenza

In an effort to curb the spread of bird flu, the Iowa Department of Agriculture issued an order Wednesday canceling all live bird competitions and exhibits, potentially impacting summer county fairs and the Iowa State Fair.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — For the first time in its 150-year history, the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo won’t have poultry shows when that event starts Friday.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture told KRDO NewsChannel 13 Monday that the shows were canceled to avoid worsening a nationwide outbreak of avian flu among chickens and other domestic birds.

Some local county fairs in Washington and Idaho are restricting or requiring testing for poultry exhibitors this year because of a continued outbreak of avian influenza.

Ribbons for poultry were awarded Sunday morning at the Branch County Fair. In May, there was concern none could be shown after bird flu swept the country. 

The highly-pathogenic avian influenza, with a 90-100% mortality rate in chickens, infected more than 37 million birds in 34 states in April and May. 

The upcoming Alaska State Fair in Palmer has decided not to include poultry exhibits this year in an effort to prevent the spread of avian flu, officials said.

There will be no poultry at the upcoming Tanana Valley State Fair in Interior Alaska for the first time in decades. Fair board president Coleen Turner says the decision was made because of the threat of avian influenza.

YAKIMA, WA – Avian Influenza, or Bird Flu has been quickly spreading across the state and this year and many state fairs have not taken the Washington State Veterinarian recommendations lightly and chosen not to have birds in person.

The State Board of Animal Health has ended a temporary ban on poultry events in North Dakota that it put in place four months ago amid a national outbreak of bird flu. However, the move comes too late for the State Fair to have poultry exhibits this year.

The Waukesha County Fair opened and welcomed guests that were banned until just a month ago. Poultry had been banned due to bird flu concerns.

The Grant County Fair is losing all activities involving chickens after an announcement there’s an outbreak of the Avian Flu. The move comes after the state of Washington recommended suspension of exhibitions, fairs, and poultry sales until 30 days after the last detection of the flu.