This year, many of the exhibitors at the Union County Fair did not have the opportunity to show their animal one last time.
Late Friday night, Dr. Tony Forshey of the Ohio Department of Agriculture asked the Union County Fair Board to close the swine barn as a precaution.
Fair Board Representative Jeff Henault said there was an outbreak of influenza in the swine barn. Ryan Lee, chairman of the Union County Agricultural Society’s Livestock Committee, said there was one confirmed case of what is commonly called swine flu. He said that confirmed case was diagnosed Monday. He said the animal was separated from others and the fair went “several days” without another issue.
As the week went on, the fair board asked that any hog not destined for slaughter be taken out of the barn.
Fair Vet, Dr. Martey Masterson, DVM with the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s OSU Large Animal Services in Marysville, said that by Friday afternoon, “we had some pigs that were starting to cough.”
She consulted with a local OSU Extension veterinarian who ran a rapid test on one of the pigs and it came back positive.
Masterson said she was in contact with Forshey throughout the week.
“Everything we did was kind of in consultation,” Masterson said. “He suggested Friday night that we consider closing the barn.”
Henault said that about 10:30 p.m., the barn was closed.
“The committee got together and we talked about what was best for the exhibitors, for the animals, for the fair, and we made that decision,” Henault said.
He said from that point, only exhibitors were allowed in the swine barn.
Masterson said that as a precaution, vapor blocks, black tarps, separated the pig barn from the show and sale arenas.
As a result of the closure, swine exhibitors did not take their animals into the show ring for Saturday’s sale.
“The decision was for the pigs, to give them some rest, and as a precaution for the public,” Masterson said.
Additionally, many poultry exhibitors also did not take their animals into the sale ring.
“It’s because those two, swine and birds, are the only two animals to share the flu virus with humans,” said Lee.
He said he contacted the Union County Health Department as well. Lee said there is, “a natural evolution of the flu.” He said that’s why flu vaccinations are different each year. He said this year it seems the evolution has hit pigs harder.
“It really is just a lot like a regular flu outbreak,” Lee said. “It is something to be concerned about, but maybe not to the degree that we are.”
Masterson said there is always some flu among animal populations, it has just gotten more attention this year.
Lee said the whole experience has been, “a good lesson in biosecurity for our exhibitors.”
Lee said the fair board spent a lot of time preparing for an outbreak. He added that precautions included a plan to get pigs off the fairgrounds early if that was needed. He said that by the time Forshey asked to have the barn closed, there wasn’t much that could be done. Lee said he contacted the company that would butcher the hogs but was told there wasn’t anything it could do until after the sale.
“We were kind of stuck with where we were at,” said Lee.
He said at that point the decision to close the barn, “really wasn’t difficult.”
Masterson said the public response to warnings also played a role in the decision.
“People were not listening to the signs,” Masterson said. “People were still bringing strollers through the barn, still eating and drinking. People were completely not paying attention.”
The vet said that by the time pigs were loaded onto trucks for slaughter, all of them were able to get up and walk onto the truck.
Lee did stress that meat is still safe to eat.
“The pork from these pigs is still safe to eat,” Lee said.
He said that as he spoke with the butchers, he was assured, “this isn’t something new that they don’t deal with.”
Lee compared the sick hogs to a sick relative.
“You wouldn’t skip Thanksgiving dinner, but you just might not sit next to the person coughing,” said Lee.