DALLAS — Cattle at the State Fair of Texas this year must have a negative test for Avian Flu, also known as Bird Flu, completed within seven days of arrival as concerns about the spread of the virus have swept through animal exhibitions across the country.
The highly pathogenic Bird Flu jumped from poultry to dairy cattle earlier this year. A Texas farmworker was the first person in the United States to catch the virus from a cow, state agriculture officials said.
Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated two cattle herds in Texas tested positive in the past 30 days.
"There’s always a new challenge that we have to address and this is this year’s challenge that we’re working with," said State Fair of Texas Sr. Vice President of Agriculture and Livestock Daryl Real.
Real said the State Fair of Texas is following requirements from the Texas Animal Health Commission to mandate lactating dairy cattle test negative for the virus within seven days of arriving at the fair.
"Anytime we mix different populations together, there is the idea that we can share germs," Real said. "That’s why we have those policies in place and we require veterinary inspections so we don’t bring sick animals to the fair."
Other state fairs across the country have implemented similar rules and some have canceled popular animal attractions for fear the virus could spread.
Minnesota canceled its popular exhibition in which fairgoers could see a cow give birth, Iowa isn't letting fair attendees milk a cow themselves and Michigan effectively banned all dairy cattle from fairs across the state.
Real said Texas doesn't have some of those exhibits with higher risks of transmission, so fairgoers likely won't notice a change.
"We are going to continue to allow the visitors, the fairgoers to come see all the livestock because fairs are simply the window nowadays that most people get to view agriculture," he said.
Behind the scenes, the fair's team of veterinarians and the Texas Animal Health Commission will work to ensure the livestock stay healthy -- and if any test positive for Avian Flu, they will be quarantined with isolation protocols put into place.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the risk of transmission of Bird Flu from livestock to humans remains low. Real said the State Fair of Texas advises visitors to wash their hands before and after interacting with animals. He said the fair has handwashing stations located near the livestock areas.
