June 18, 2019
Disease Prevention for Fairs and Festivals
Fairs and festivals are an important Kansas tradition. They provide an opportunity for people to explore new areas and connect with their heritage, as well as educate and entertain. Animal exhibits and animal contact areas are often part of fairs and festivals and give some people their only up close and personal look at a variety of different animals, especially those traditionally found on farms. This connection, or human-animal bond, is important especially for children. It is equally important to understand that animals can transmit diseases to people. There were approximately 200 human infectious disease outbreaks involving animals in public settings in the United States from 1996-2012. These outbreaks have substantial medical, public health, legal, and economic effects.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has updated the ‘Disease Prevention for Fairs and Festivals’ toolkit. It is designed for fair and festival managers and public health officials to understand the considerations that should be made when organizing and operating a fair or festival. It focuses on preventing zoonotic diseases; those diseases transmitted between animals and people, and is based on the Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Settings. There is an additional section on food safety considerations.
Local Health Departments are encouraged to contact organizers for fairs and festivals in their county to introduce themselves and provide a copy of this toolkit. Likewise, Extension Agents and fair and festival operators are encouraged to review this toolkit and contact their local health department prior to the start of their fair or festival. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has sent an electronic copy of this toolkit to all local health departments in Kansas.
We are proud of our heritage and the tradition of fairs and festivals in our great state. For questions regarding the information in this toolkit contact Dr. Ingrid Garrison, State Public Health Veterinarian at 785-296-2501 or Ms. Lindsey Martin Webb, Foodborne and waterborne disease epidemiologist at 785-296-3304.