Office of the State Veterinarian
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Office of the State Veterinarian

Contact: WA State Veterinarian (360) 902-1878

Media contact: Amber Betts 360-628-3477 Public contact: (800) 606-3056


State veterinarian advice for

fairs, sales, and bird exhibitions

The Washington State Veterinarian has recommended the suspension of exhibitions, fairs, and poultry sales until 30 days after the last detection of HPAI in the state to prevent further infection and spread of HPAI in Washington State.

The exhibition/fair/sales suspension is a recommendation not a RULE. However, the risk of commingling birds is significant and could result in the death of all birds that attend an event. WSDA strongly recommends suspension of all shows/exhibitions and non-terminal sales.
  • Avian influenza can have public health significance, increasing the concern for public exhibition.
  • We are allowing egg exhibition with some basic biosecurity measures-
    • clean with water and dilute bleach solution
    • Minimize handling
    • Egg cracking for yolk inspection ok
    • All eggs must be disposed of at the conclusion of the fair/ double bagged and landfill
  • We are allowing terminal bird shows/sales with minimal bird contact
    • All birds should be examined by a veterinarian (or qualified superintendent) to determine healthy status prior to entry.
    • Any birds that are sick or become sick must be reported to the state veterinarian immediately and placed in isolation.
    • Birds should not be on site for more than 72 hours
    • Birds from multiple premises should not be commingled
    • Birds should not have direct contact with the public
    • Poultry/ chickens should never be co-housed or comingled with waterfowl.
    • After the birds are sold they should go directly to processing
    • Birds should be handled with gloves and changed between premises.
  • We are encouraging opportunities to educate the public about avian influenza.
    • The absence of birds sends a strong message to the public that we care about bird welfare and take HPAI very seriously.
    • Encourage exhibitors to make posters/ displays/ or do virtual shows.
      • We have lots of resources to share to give exhibitors ideas
      • How to manage a foot bath
      • What is biosecurity?
      • HPAI- what is it, how does it spread, how do we prevent it
      • What does a response look like
      • How does a foreign animal disease impact trade
      • What do trends look like across the country
      • What wild bird species can be impacted and how
    • Consider a chicken photo contest.
    • Do a biosecurity session with glo-germ
    • Request speakers (WSU extension, WSDA, USDA, etc) to come to your event to talk about the disease.
If fairs decide to hold poultry shows despite the recommendation to suspend activities, fairs should remain vigilant and employ enhanced biosecurity, including:
  1. Do not allow any sick or depressed birds into the fair.
  2. Restrict the public from touching exhibition birds and encourage handwashing.
  3. House waterfowl and gallinaceous birds separately (in separate areas or barns if possible).
  4. Show poultry (chickens, turkey) before, or in a separate barn than waterfowl (geese, ducks).
  5. Consider staggering show times or days for poultry and waterfowl.
  6. Clean and disinfect frequently.
  7. Discourage out-of-state and out of county poultry from showing,
  8. Do not share equipment.
  9. Report and remove any sick bird immediately.
  10. Isolate all exhibition birds away from the home flock for 30 days upon return from the fair.
Report any sick birds to the WSDA SICK BIRD HOTLINE: 1-800-606-3056

2022 Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks

2022 Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds

July 29, 2021 | Contact: State Veterinarians Office (360) 902-1878

USDA Confirms African Swine Fever in the Dominican Republic

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory has confirmed African swine fever (ASF) in samples collected from pigs in the Dominican Republic through an existing cooperative surveillance program.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has numerous interlocking safeguards in place to prevent ASF from entering the United States. Pork and pork products from the Dominican Republic are currently prohibited entry as a result of existing classical swine fever restrictions. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is increasing inspections of flights from the Dominican Republic to ensure travelers do not bring prohibited products to the United States. CBP will also be ensuring that garbage from these airplanes are properly disposed of to prevent the transmission of ASF.

USDA is committed to assisting the Dominican Republic in dealing with ASF, is offering continued testing support, and will consult with them on additional steps or actions to support response and mitigation measures. We will also offer similar help to Haiti, which borders the Dominican Republic and is at high risk for ASF detections.

The USDA continues to work diligently with partners including CBP and the U.S. swine industry to prevent ASF from entering the United States. ASF is not a threat to human health, cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans and it is not a food safety issue.

Employ Biosecurity to Prevent African Swine Fever

The Washington State Department of Agriculture is monitoring the global African Swine Fever situation closely with the recent announcement of ASF in the Dominican Republic. African swine fever is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting both domestic and feral swine of all ages. ASF is not a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans. It is not a food safety issue.

This is the first case of ASF in the Western Hemisphere in recent history. Additional outbreaks across Asia and Europe pose an additional threat to the US pork industry. ASF is found in countries around the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. More recently, it has spread through China, Mongolia and Vietnam, as well as within parts of the European Union. While this disease in not currently present in the United States nor has it ever been diagnosed here, it serves as a reminder that we live in a global economy and disease threats are ever present.

Strong biosecurity represents the best chance for protecting swine operations and the US swine industry. All livestock owners should employ strict biosecurity measures and if you “see something, say something”.

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