Avian flu concerns bar live poultry from W.Va. State Fair
By the Associated Press
July 19, 2007
FAIRLEA, W.Va. -- Fairgoers will not see live poultry at this year's State Fair of West Virginia because of concerns about the discovery of avian influenza on a turkey farm in neighboring Virginia.
Agriculture Commissioner Gus Douglass decided to ban live poultry, a popular attraction at the fair, because of the Fairlea event's proximity to Shenandoah County, Va., 10 miles from the West Virginia border, said Buddy Davidson, a spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture.
"I know that a lot of kids really like to visit that exhibit," Davidson said Wednesday. "But it's just a small part of the overall display."
"There will still be a poultry building," Davidson said. "It's not going to affect attendance at the State Fair."
On July 9, Douglass suspended all poultry shows and sales in West Virginia for 30 days. Davidson said the decision to ban live poultry from the fair, set for Aug. 10-18, was a precautionary measure.
Douglass has said the low pathogenicity avian influenza found in the turkey flock in Virginia is not the same as the bird flu found in Southeast Asia, Europe and other countries.
The state order does not involve commercial poultry operations because the birds are tested for the virus before being moved off the farm.
In April, the virus was found at a Pendleton County turkey farm. Officials destroyed the farm's 25,000 turkeys. In Virginia, 54,000 turkeys on the farm were destroyed.
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Information from: The Register-Herald, http://www.register-herald.com
By the Associated Press
July 19, 2007
FAIRLEA, W.Va. -- Fairgoers will not see live poultry at this year's State Fair of West Virginia because of concerns about the discovery of avian influenza on a turkey farm in neighboring Virginia.
Agriculture Commissioner Gus Douglass decided to ban live poultry, a popular attraction at the fair, because of the Fairlea event's proximity to Shenandoah County, Va., 10 miles from the West Virginia border, said Buddy Davidson, a spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture.
"I know that a lot of kids really like to visit that exhibit," Davidson said Wednesday. "But it's just a small part of the overall display."
"There will still be a poultry building," Davidson said. "It's not going to affect attendance at the State Fair."
On July 9, Douglass suspended all poultry shows and sales in West Virginia for 30 days. Davidson said the decision to ban live poultry from the fair, set for Aug. 10-18, was a precautionary measure.
Douglass has said the low pathogenicity avian influenza found in the turkey flock in Virginia is not the same as the bird flu found in Southeast Asia, Europe and other countries.
The state order does not involve commercial poultry operations because the birds are tested for the virus before being moved off the farm.
In April, the virus was found at a Pendleton County turkey farm. Officials destroyed the farm's 25,000 turkeys. In Virginia, 54,000 turkeys on the farm were destroyed.
P>
Information from: The Register-Herald, http://www.register-herald.com