Dubuque County Fair officials have opted to cancel the open class dairy show at this year’s fair according to published reports. The decision is in response to the H5N1 bird flu, which has been detected in 12 states including dairy herds in Minnesota and Northwest Iowa. Although the Open Class Dairy Show will not be held, the Junior Dairy Show open to FFA and 4-H members will go on as planned. There will be a meeting this week to discuss precautions and rules for junior exhibitors. Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship recently announced new rules that require testing prior to dairy cattle’s participation in exhibition or fairs.
There continues to be no concern about the safety of the milk supply because products are pasteurized before entering the market, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). USDA and FDA remind consumers that raw milk should not be consumed.
