As a result of highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health is extending its temporary statewide ban on poultry events until June 1st. The Board’s Dr. Shauna Voss says “Minnesota’s first county fairs of 2020 generally are set to begin at the beginning of June and we don’t anticipate that this ban will affect those events so we are in contact with our youth agriculture organizations and county fairs in the state to keep them up to date on the situation.” Dr. Shauna Voss is asking poultry owners “whether they’re large growers or small backyard hobbyist that they practice strict biosecurity measures and to make sure that their flocks are not coming in contact with anything in the environment that could be contaminated and not commingling with any wild birds.” So far, more than 2.7 million birds have been impacted by highly pathogenic avian influenza in at least 19 Minnesota counties.