Fairgoers encouraged to practice good hygiene during fair season
As millions of visitors prepare to enjoy any of Ohio’s 94 county and independent fairs across the state, leaders at the Ohio Departments of Agriculture (ODA) and Health (ODH) are encouraging guests and exhibitors to practice good hygiene when visiting livestock exhibitions this summer.
Visitors are advised to wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after petting or touching any animal. Health experts discourage eating or drinking or putting anything in your mouth in areas where there are animals. Visitors should also avoid touching their faces, particularly their eyes, nose and mouth.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to closely supervise young children to ensure they do not put anything in their mouths, as this is a common way for germs to enter your body and cause illness.
ODA works with the Ohio Fair Managers Association and county fair boards throughout the fair season to increase access to hand sanitizers and hand-washing stations. In addition, educational signage is provided to be placed in and out of barns to encourage good hygiene and best practices. Frequent handwashing can lower the risk of getting sick from many illnesses including respiratory viruses, like influenza and stomach bugs, like Salmonella and E. coli.
Ohio’s fair veterinarians are trained to closely monitor fair livestock and poultry for clinical signs of illness. Exhibitors who believe their animal may be sick should immediately contact their barn manager and fair veterinarian. Fair guests who experience illness should contact their local healthcare provider.
A complete list of Ohio’s fairs is available at https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/amusement-ride-safety-and-fairs/resourc….
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