(HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) has issued milk handling recommendations for exhibitors and event organizers to minimize the transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1). The milk handling recommendations for exhibitors and event organizers pertain to milking practices and disposal of milk collected on-site, in the best interest of elevated biosecurity surrounding H5N1. The full recommendations can be found online here.
CT DoAg encourages producers, exhibition organizers, and veterinarians to follow the recommendations in addition to the state’s fair and show requirements to ensure the health and well-being of animals at fairs throughout the state in the months ahead.
The 2024 Connecticut Fair and Show Requirements were previously updated on April 29, 2024, to reflect the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s federal order requiring pre-movement testing for interstate movement of lactating dairy cattle. The fair and show requirements apply to animals being exhibited or shown, including poultry, at shows and fairs in 2024. To date no cases of HPAI in livestock have been detected in Connecticut.
Anyone seeking additional assistance in preparing an exhibit or event during the 2024 fair and show season should contact CT DoAg’s Bureau of Regulatory Services at 860-713-2504. For more information on H5N1, please visit our website.
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) mission is to foster a healthy economic, environmental, and social climate for agriculture by developing, promoting, and regulating agricultural businesses; protecting agricultural and aquacultural resources; enforcing laws pertaining to domestic animals; and promoting an understanding among the state's citizens of the diversity of Connecticut agriculture, its cultural heritage, and its contribution to the state's economy. For more information, visit www.CTGrown.gov.
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Rebecca Eddy, Rebecca.Eddy@ct.gov
860-573-0323
