Poultry Shows cancelled for the 2022 Delaware State Fair

HARRINGTON, Del. — The Delaware State Fair has announced they are canceling this year’s poultry shows.

The state fair is right around the corner. And in order to avoid people getting the avian flu, the poultry-related events have been canceled. This comes after the Delaware Department of Agriculture, in agreeance with the State Epidemiologist Office has issued the directive.

“With the United States continuing to have positive cases in commercial and backyard and wild bird populations, we have decided that the State Fair should not hold any exhibits of fowl out of an abundance of caution,” Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse said.

So far this virus has impacted 29 states and some cases have actually appeared in Delaware. Avian flu is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads quickly among birds through nasal and eye secretions and manure.

The fair general manager, William DiMondi says they’re taking every possible step to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

As avian influenza “continues to impact poultry flocks across the state and nation, it is essential we take every possible step to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.  We certainly hope to return to a full run of all poultry exhibits at the 2023 Fair,” DiMondi says.