Avian Flu causes Poultry Showing Ban in Ohio

The Avian Flu hasn’t yet made its way into Ohio and state officials are taking steps to keep it that way.

Ohio has banned poultry shows from the Ohio State Fair and county fairs in order to protect the state from the virus. The absence of the poultry shows at Ohio fairs means that local 4-H youth looking to show their birds won’t be able to.

President of the Muskingum County Fair Board Darrel Cubbison said a committee is currently looking for a way to recognize the 4-H members.

“We have a committee that’s working as we speak figuring out what we’re going to do with the building empty and how we’re going to have these young people with projects come to the fair and also how they’ll be recognized by their project,” said Cubbison.

The flu has led to the death of more than 44 million chickens and turkeys in the Mid-West. The Bird Flu spreads from wild birds to domestic live stock who can’t fight the infection. Although it hasn’t been seen in Ohio, Cubbison said that it’s important to take caution because Ohio produces so many eggs so Avian Flu in Ohio could impact the state economically.

“There’s so many jobs affected,” said Cubbison. “There’s thousands of people that work in the egg producing business.”

Indiana, West Virginia, Michigan and Pennsylvania have also decided to keep poultry out of their state and county fairs in the coming season.