(Radio Iowa) – With bird flu cases confirmed in at least nine northwest Iowa dairy herds, there may be new requirements for some dairy cattle exhibited at county fairs and the Iowa State Fair this summer. Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig expects to make an announcement soon.

Cows enter a more than 300-day lactating cycle and produce milk after giving birth to a calf. In early 2022 after bird flu reemerged in Iowa poultry operations, Naig cancelled live bird shows at fairs and other exhibitions to try to curb the spread of the virus. Iowa law requires county fairs to have a veterinarian inspect all livestock, poultry and birds as the animals arrive on the fairgrounds for shows and exhibits.