IDOA announces exhibition requirement changes for dairy cattle

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced an intrastate testing requirement for lactating dairy cattle participating in livestock exhibitions in Illinois to minimize the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

While Illinois currently has no reported cases of H5N1 in dairy cattle, 12 states have confirmed cases, and this step is being taken out of an abundance of caution.

Testing requirements apply to lactating dairy cattle being exhibited at county fairs, Illinois State Fair, Du Quoin State Fair and any other livestock exhibition held in Illinois.

The IDOA testing requirements, effective July 17, are:

• All lactating dairy cattle must have a negative Influenza A virus test before arriving at a livestock exhibition in Illinois. Exhibitions include county fairs and state fairs and other exhibitions where dairy cattle are exhibited.

• Testing must be conducted by a National Animal Health Laboratory Network laboratory. The University of Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic lab is a NAHLN laboratory.

• The animals must be sampled no more than seven calendar days prior to the date of arrival at the exhibition.

• The negative test must be brought to the exhibition. All test results are animal specific; the animal identification tag on the animal must match the identification on the test results.

• If one animal in a herd tests positive, no other animals in the herd shall be permitted to attend exhibitions for at least 30 days.

• If one animal being exhibited from a herd has not been tested, all animals in the herd shall be ineligible for exhibition.

• All positive tests must be reported to IDOA.

“The safety of our state fair exhibitors and their animals is our No. 1 concern,” said IDOA Director Jerry Costello II. “Our hope is to reduce the risk of disease by implementing these proactive measures.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has several financial assistance options for exhibitors, including waiving the laboratory fee and assisting with veterinarian sample collection fees and shipping reimbursement.

“Our best defense against animal disease is biosecurity,” said Mark Ernst, IDOA state veterinarian. “We are committed to working closely with all stakeholders — from veterinarians and testing labs to exhibitors and fair managers — to identify and implement best practices to limit or prevent the spread of disease.”

Visit agr.illinois.gov for additional details, including a FAQ document covering approved labs in Illinois, guidance from labs on how to obtain tests and information about the cost of tests.