Advisory: Guidance and precautions for participation in United States agricultural exhibitions to mitigate the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canadian cattle

Since early 2024, the United States (U.S.) has reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cows in several states. Due to the presence of HPAI (H5N1) in the U.S. dairy cattle population, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) advises against all Canadian cattle travelling to and participating in agricultural exhibitions in the U.S. at this time. While we understand the traditional and business significance of attending these events, the current HPAI situation in the U.S. may pose a risk of introducing and spreading the virus into Canada and may negatively impact the health of your animals. To protect your cattle – dairy or beef – from HPAI, the CFIA does not recommend showing them at exhibitions. This particularly applies if there are cattle or poultry participating from states or regions where HPAI in cattle has been detected. Find out where HPAI has been detected in livestock on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website. Recommendations to prevent