Ryan Scholz has a personal interest in making sure animals at local fairs are kept safe from disease, beyond his professional role as Oregon’s state veterinarian.

The Willamette Valley native and Oregon State University alumnus has been involved in fairs for nearly 30 years, having shown sheep, goats and pigs at the state fair as a youngster.

This summer, he attended his 12^th state festival in Salem as a representative of the state Department of Agriculture, serving as an on-site veterinarian called for in the emergency rules his office enacted to curb the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza to dairy cattle.

“The progression we’ve been seeing of avian influenza in dairy cattle had us concerned,” Scholz told Farm Press. “We don’t have avian influenza in dairy cattle in Oregon, but it seems like every summer in the last four years a new disease has cropped up. This is how we can prevent it. It’s also really important to take a proactive approach.”

In late June, Oregon became the first state on the West Coast to issue emergency rules for fairs and livestock exhibitions, requiring extra record-keeping and the availability of a veterinarian, among other safeguards.

The rules were issued in time for most Oregon county fairs as well as the state fair Aug. 23-Sept. 2. State fair officials were working this summer to “make sure we’re following them perfectly,” spokeswoman Drew Marine told Farm Press.

Related:HPAI confirmed in three Calif. dairy herds

The regulations applied to all “influenza susceptible animals,” which include waterfowl and other poultry, dairy cattle and swine. Among the rules, sick animals were not allowed in the exhibitions, and influenza-susceptible species had to be separated.

There are more rules for each species. For instance, lactating dairy cattle could not be milked in areas directly accessible to the public, and had to be tested for HPAI within 10 days before arriving. The ODA provided and paid for the tests.

Waterfowl could not be given open water to swim in swimming ponds, and also needed a negative test within 10 days of arriving. The shows also provided hand-washing stations for people attending, and signage to encourage their use.

“We’ve seen the rules put into play multiple times,” including the isolation of animals that appeared ill, Scholz said. “Fairs have put out signs. Just walking around the fairgrounds and seeing them is a huge win. We haven’t had any major issues.”

HPAI spreading

The efforts come as HPAI, which has caused the loss of more than 43 million egg-laying hens in the U.S. since 202, had infected 197 dairy cattle herds in 14 states as of Aug. 30, according to the USDA.

Related:HPAI prompts new rules for Ore. livestock shows

In late August, California became the latest state to see infections in dairy cattle, as three herds in the Central Valley tested positive for the disease. In the West, infected herds have also been reported in Colorado (64 cases), Idaho (31 cases), New Mexico (nine cases) and Wyoming (one case), according to the agency.

State ag departments have universally urged biosecurity measures to curb the spread of avian flu, and some states have begun to impose mandatory testing. Colorado, which leads the nation in cases involving dairy cows, recently began requiring testing in the commercial dairy industry after several “spillover events” that affected poultry operations, state ag officials said.

“We usually have at least one call a week,” Scholz said of state ag directors, who also consult with the USDA. “I talk with my Washington and Idaho counterparts. But we have our own regulatory environment and do the protocols that work best for our states.”

Scholz was hired as state veterinarian in late 2020 after having worked for the ODA since December 2012. He worked in private practice briefly after graduating from OSU with a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 2011. He completed a master’s of public health in epidemiology in 2016.

As first a district vet and now as state veterinarian, Scholz’ primary responsibility is to prevent and track diseases in livestock, OSU explains. He and his team of two district vets, three lab technicians and a couple of office staff work with practicing veterinarians across the state.

“I’m coming close to 30 years of involvement at the state fair,” he said.