Several fairs in Indiana and Ohio have recently had exhibitors and livestock affected by the influenza virus. Influenza, or the flu, can occasionally be transmitted from people to pigs or from pigs to people. Here are some recommendations from National Pork Board you can follow to help protect you and your animals from illness:

1) If anyone in your family has flu-like symptoms, please do not attend any public livestock events, including your county, state or regional fairs, for seven days after the symptoms began or until you have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications – whichever is longer.

2) If any of your animals show signs of flu-like illness on the farm, please check with your veterinarian before bringing them to your county, state or regional shows. 

In addition to the precautions above, Dr. Tony Forshey, State Veterinarian in Ohio, says that being proactive and doing things as simple as washing your hands can help prevent the spread of illness. See Dr. Forshey’s other comments on protecting animal and human health by clicking here. 

For additional information, refer to A Champion’s Guide to Youth Swine Exhibition: Biosecurity, available here. 

By taking these precautions, you can help protect yourself, your animals and the people and animals around you. We appreciate your cooperation.