Santa Cruz Sentinel reports that visitors to this year’s Santa Cruz County Fair will find a number of fair safety precautions, including additional hand-washing stations and barriers keeping them at a greater distance from livestock, fair manager Yvette Jordan said.
Jordan said precautions are being taken after two visitors to the Calaveras County Fair
Shantell Kirkendoll of the Flint Journal reports that on trips to Al-Mar Orchard, Kay Mattar of Flushing picks up organic apples and cider and if there’s time, 3-year-old son Calvin likes to say hello to Tilly the pig. But the increasing phenomenon of bacterial infection outbreaks from exposure to animals have led experts to produce
Animals are always a main part of a fair — both for sale and show — and their health and safety is a big concern. Last year, 72 pigs were quarantined and quickly shipped away for slaughter after one was discovered on the fairgrounds with symptoms of a bacterial disease — a development fair officials hope to avoid this year. (See also: fair safety information)
Dr. John Been, the Sauk County Fair’s head veterinarian, will be at the fairgrounds beginning Wednesday to check all the animals coming in. They are all required to have prior inspections from a veterinarian, but Been said the more precautions, the better. Been says the animals’ health status should be high. Depending on the species, there may or may not be health papers and a certificate of a veterinarian inspection that needs to be in place, and those are done by home farm vets.Continue Reading Keeping a close eye on animal health