CUMBERLAND, Maine — The 144th Cumberland County Fair is underway, and organizers are taking some extra precautions when it comes to the poultry.
The avian flu has devastated flocks of chickens, turkeys and other bird species in the Midwest, causing some areas to raise the price of eggs and meat.
Organizers at the fair say they’re not overly concerned with it spreading east, but want to do all they can to keep their animals healthy.
“We’re more concerned with humans passing it onto the animals than the other way around. We can monitor our animals. We are placing signs and hand sanitizers around to help everyone coming to see them stay a little bit healthier,” Mark Cooper, livestock superintendent at the fair, said.
Organizers say they are working closely with veterinarians to monitor the animals.
According to the CDC, the most recent confirmed case of avian flu was in June. It has not yet reached the northeast.