Introduction: What is Biosecurity and Why Is It Important?

Biosecurity is a set of procedures to reduce the spread of illness from disease-causing agents such as bacteria and viruses. Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted between people and animals and are a considerable health risk for event visitors and exhibitors alike (Conrad et al., 2017).

Examples of zoonotic diseases are rabies, E. coli, and Salmonella. Implementing biosecurity practices can increase the likelihood that animals, exhibitors, event personnel, and members of the public remain healthy and safe while engaging in agricultural events, and upon returning home.

This fact sheet can be used by animal exhibitors to inform biosecurity decision-making before, during, and after an event. 

What Can Happen If Biosecurity Is Not Addressed?

Zoonotic diseases can pose serious health risks to people, especially those that are younger than 5 years of age, older and pregnant adults, and people with immunocompromising conditions, or who take immunocompromising drugs, like chemotherapy. 

These germs, also called pathogens, can cause symptoms ranging from fatigue, cough, fever, and even paralysis or death if not treated. Zoonotic diseases pose not only a threat to event visitors, but event staff and exhibitors as well.

Many zoonotic germs are naturally found in the digestive system of animals present at animal exhibitions and other agricultural events, such as cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry.

Livestock and poultry can shed zoonotic germs while still appearing healthy, exposing humans to these germs. Thus, practicing healthy hygiene around animals is necessary.

Before the Event: Preparing Animals and Supplies

Animal preparation

A quality approach to biosecurity starts long before loading animals onto the trailer. Prioritizing animal health throughout the year will help to support a strong immune system, which is important when animals experience stress associated with travel and exposure to unfamiliar pathogens at an event. A comprehensive animal health plan is grounded in a working relationship with your veterinarian, who can help you develop a protocol for management, nutrition, reproduction, and vaccination.

Some vaccines, like rabies, may be required for animal event participation. Other vaccines may be optional but highly recommended to protect your animals from common diseases. Consider developing a biosecurity plan for your operation (Developing a Biosecurity Plan for Your Livestock or Poultry Operation | Extension News and Publications).

It is important to know what normal behavior and appearance looks like for each of your animals. This allows you to respond appropriately if an animal experiences a problem with their health. Do not bring animals to animal exhibitions or other events that have an active infection, injury, or appear unthrifty–an animal that is unwell poses a health risk not only to themself, but other animals and people as well.

Follow your state’s policies for intra- and interstate movement of animals. In Connecticut, for example, exhibitors must have the health of their animals certified by a veterinarian in order to participate in animal exhibition and other events. If your state requires additional biosafety protocol, such as blood testing for Coggins and brucellosis, or tagging scrapie-free flocks, ensure that you have met those requirements. Bring copies of your health certificate and make sure you only bring animals to events that have been formally health certified. 

Sharing trailers can expose your animals to diseases carried by their travel companions from other farms. The mixing of unfamiliar animals also increases the risk of acute illnesses such as shipping fever (pneumonia). Transport your animals with your own trailer and equipment to mitigate health risks. 

Cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting

Familiarize yourself with proper cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection practices, as these can reduce the number of germs on inanimate items such as halters and boots, and can help prevent transmission of disease.

Cleaning, broadly, is the removal of dirt, large particles, and organic matter like feces. This is a key step, and must be completed before sanitization and disinfection is possible. Sanitizing doesn’t kill all the germs present on a surface, but is used to reduce the overall germ count to a lower level. Disinfection, on the other hand, reduces most, if not all, viruses and bacteria on a surface.

Different solutions, such as bleach, alcohol, and chlorhexidine, have different properties and abilities. Disinfectants are much stronger than cleaning or sanitizing products, and have a specific set of instructions to ensure both safety and efficacy. Selecting the proper product for a specific cleaning task is extremely important to maintain proper biosecurity (Fusco-Rollins et al., 2025). For more information on these products, please visit this factsheet.

At The Event

Unloading and setting up

Health checks are a primary safeguard against diseases introduced in exhibition and animal-event settings. Don’t unload animals onto the grounds until they have been properly health-checked by the show superintendent, or other event representative. Before moving animals into pens, check to make sure that all soiled bedding from previous occupants has been removed.

Consider disinfecting pen surfaces (see above section); the disinfectant should be fully dried before animals are introduced to the space to avoid chemical exposure.

Placing tack pens between your animals and those of other farms can help to reduce transfer of diseases that can be transferred through direct contact (nose to nose), fecal-oral, and respiration of air-borne pathogens. Similarly, tarps and panels can be used to separate animals. 

Do not share pens with other farms; comingling of animals from different operations poses a disease transfer risk. Don’t overstock pens. Avoid placing animals from your farm in pens with others that they’re not already familiar with, as this can cause additional stress to the animal and its immune system.

Animal Care

When caring for your animals at an animal exhibition or event, always wash your hands before handling feed and water. Don’t share hoses or buckets, and avoid placing hoses on the ground between use. Likewise, don’t place items in contaminated water. Avoid tracking manure into pens from barn aisles.

Don’t use your personal equipment (i.e., pitchforks, shovels) to clean both manure in shared spaces and your own pens, as this can introduce contaminated fecal matter from other farms.

If possible, position fans so they draw clean air from outside the barn, to cool animals for heat stress reduction, without pulling in debris from inside the barn. When heading home to care for animals that stayed on-farm, wash your hands, or take a shower, and change into clean clothes and boots.

Avoid dramatic changes in feed while at an animal exhibition or event, as this can add stress to an animal’s digestive system. Consider using a portable water filter, as water sources on event grounds may have bacteria present. Store and feed hay up off the ground whenever possible to reduce the risk that your animal will consume feedstuffs contaminated with fecal matter. Keep feed secure from rodents and other pests.

Consider feeding probiotics and electrolytes during an event to support animal health, especially during times of extreme heat or poor weather. Monitor your animals throughout the event for changes in health, such as coughing, diarrhea, or bloat.

If you do notice a decline in health, take action and contact your veterinarian if necessary. Notify the event superintendent if you notice a health concern in an animal from another farm.

Do not share fitting equipment with other farms; these objects can be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites. On the way to the ring and wash rack, avoid leading your animal through any piles of manure. Clean up your animal’s manure at the wash rack and make sure that there is sufficient drainage before washing your animal. 

Discourage visitors from petting animals directly on their faces, as they are likely petting other animals in the barn and can spread germs via their hands. Wash your own hands before eating. Per recommendations by the CDC, avoid eating in the barn as this poses a health risk.

In the ring and after the show

If you are showing your animal, avoid sharing halters and show sticks with others. These objects can be contaminated with pathogens and can contribute to disease spread. 

If you show a species like sheep where the judge may ask to evaluate the animal's teeth and mouth, ask if you can open the mouth yourself for examination so you are not exposing your animal to the saliva of those before it.

After helping show another farm’s animals, or after a showmanship class where the judge asked you to switch animals, wash your hands and change any soiled clothing. After the show, monitor your animal for any changes in health (i.e., coughing, diarrhea) that may have been brought on by the stress of the event. 

After The Event

Do not share trailers when traveling home from an animal exhibition or event.

Quarantine exhibition animals in an area separate from others in your operation for three to four weeks, and monitor returning animals for changes in health. During this quarantine period, do not allow returning animals to have any contact with those that were kept at home. Keeping animals separate like this will allow you to isolate illness if it does occur.

Consider conducting a fecal test two weeks after returning from an event to screen for possible parasitic infections. Avoid any dramatic changes to feed immediately after traveling, as stress may add to digestive and immune challenges.

Disinfect all equipment that has left the farm, including trailers, wheelbarrows, and boots. You can also disinfect these items at the event as you load up the trailer to return home. Wash contaminated clothing in a separate bleach load, and disinfect shoes used at the event. Monitor your own health for influenza symptoms and other signs of zoonotic infection.

Special Considerations For Poultry Exhibitors

Even in the absence of confirmed outbreaks, maintaining strong biosecurity practices is important to protect your flock from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) (American Veterinary Medical Association, 2025). Poultry exhibitors play a key role in reducing the risk of disease transmission at animal exhibitions and events, where birds from multiple flocks are housed closed to each other.

As an exhibitor, you should limit direct handling of your birds by anyone outside of your household or 4-H project team. Keep different species separated, and don’t share waterers, feeders or tools unless thoroughly cleaned and disinfected (California Department of Food and Agriculture, 2021).

To further reduce contact between different flocks, you can prepare dividers to place between your cages and neighboring birds that are not in your flock. Additionally, you may consider asking the show superintendent or barn manager if you can feed your own birds, instead of using shared feed or water supplies.

Biosecurity doesn’t end when the event is over; after the event, isolate your animals from the rest of your flock for a recommended 14 days. This observation period allows you to monitor for any signs of illness that may develop following the event, reducing the chance of introducing potential disease to the rest of your flock.

Special Considerations For Lactating Dairy Cattle Exhibitors

Exhibitors with lactating cows should be aware that milk produced at an exhibition or event should not enter the commercial milk supply or be used to feed other animals (Masur, 2024). Event organizers should communicate a milk disposal plan prior to the event. If this information is not provided, exhibitors are encouraged to ask event organizers directly for guidance.

Milk should be properly collected, handled, and discarded in accordance with current state recommendations. Sharing milking equipment between herds should be avoided. If milking machines, hoses, buckets, or any other equipment must be shared, it should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between uses to prevent cross-contamination (Masur, 2024).

After the event, exhibitors should isolate returning cattle from the rest of the herd for a minimum of 14 days and monitor for any signs of illness. Symptoms of HPAI in cattle may include reduced milk production, abnormal milk, fever, and loss of appetite (American Veterinary Medical Association, 2025). If you suspect your animal could be impacted by HPAI or another illness, it is important to report to your veterinarian and ask for guidance. 

Conclusions

Effective biosecurity is a responsibility shared by all: before, during, and after the event. As an exhibitor, it is important to follow event guidelines, take precautions with your animals at the event and at home, and do your part to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone. By staying informed, practicing good hygiene, and preparing in advance, you contribute to the health and success of the entire event. 

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express appreciation to members of the UConn Extension BE SAFE: Biosecurity Education to Safeguard Animals at Fairs and Events Team for assistance in conceptualizing this fact sheet. In addition to the authors, members of the BE SAFE Team include Maryann Fusco-Rollins, Emily Alger, and Bonnie Burr. The BE SAFE Project and this fact sheet are supported by Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement. Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement supports programs, projects and events that are intended to strengthen Northeast agriculture, commercial fishing and forest products. This program is a combined effort of Farm Credit East and CoBank.

Resources

American Veterinary Medical Association. (2024). Avian influenza virus type H5N1 in U.S. dairy cattle. Retrieved from https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-health/avian-influenza/avian-influenza-virus-type-h5n1-us-dairy-cattle 

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). (2021, March). Biosecurity Practices for Poultry Exhibit Organizers. Retrieved from https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/avian_health/pdfs/BiosecurityPracticesforPoultryExhibitOrganizers.pdf  

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2024, April 9). Tips for Staying Healthy at Animal Exhibits. https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/about/staying-healthy-at-animal-exhibits.html#:~:text=Even%20animals%20that%20look%20clean,eat%20or%20drink%20around%20animals 

Connecticut Department of Agriculture. (2025). 2025 Connecticut Fair and Show Requirements. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/doag/state-vet/2025/2025-ct-fair-requirements-update-42525_final-rem.pdf?rev=0f42b47c4ef049a1a90922af5c2df570 

Conrad, C. C., Stanford, K., Narvaez-Bravo, C., Callaway, T., & McAllister, T. (2017). Farm Fairs and Petting Zoos: A Review of Animal Contact as a Source of Zoonotic Enteric Disease. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 14(2), 59–73. https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2016.2185 

Cornell University. (n.d.). Animal Health Considerations Before, During and After the Fair. College of Veterinary Medicine. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/animal-health-diagnostic-center/programs/nyschap/modules-documents/animal-health-considerations-during-and-after-fair 

Fusco-Rollins, M., Tomis, S. M., & Shea, H. (2025). Clean, Sanitize, and Disinfect: Safe and Effective Practices for Animal Exhibitions. UConn Extension Publication.  

Masur, E. (2024, July 2). Special Memorandum for Exhibitors and Event Organizers: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1) and Minimizing Disease Transmission Risks. Connecticut Department of Agriculture. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/doag/state-vet/2024/2024-fair-show-milk-handling-recommendations-final.pdf?rev=4a0626aed03d4d0c81176677480cce41&hash=74876BCAD805AFD0725D0781C0502336 

Minnesota Board of Animal Health. (2024, January). Livestock Exhibition Handbook (5th ed.). https://www.bah.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/documents/Livestock-Exhibition-Handbook.pdf 

Ockert, K. (2024, April 11). How You Can Reduce Biosecurity Risks in 4-H Projects: Part 2. Michigan State University Extension. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_you_can_reduce_biosecurity_risks_in_4_h_projects_part_2#:~:text=The%20contrast%20between%20risk%20levels,Limiting%20exposure%20to%20your%20animals. 

Tomis, S. M., & White, M. (2025). Developing a Biosecurity Plan for Your Livestock or Poultry Operation. UConn Extension Publication EXT103. https://doi.org/10.61899/ucext.v2.103.2025