NM animal health experts update fair guidance to include high-quality masks

Cows graze in a field at a dairy farm on April 26, 2024 in Petaluma, California. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is ordering dairy producers to test cows that produce milk for infections from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) before the animals are transported to a different state following the discovery of the virus in samples of pasteurized milk taken by the Food and Drug Administration. (Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

Well-fitting masks or respirators can help stop the spread of a highly contagious strain of bird flu, according to new guidelines New Mexico animal health officials published as fair season kicks off.

On Monday, three agencies published a three-page guidance document, and sent it to extension offices and fair organizers across New Mexico. In a statement attached to the guidance, the agencies said they’re “monitoring” Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the state and “would like to help ensure a safe fair season.” A full list of 2024 county fair dates in New Mexico can be found here .

The guidelines recommend fair organizers isolate sick animals away from the public, and hand out and use personal protective equipment when caring for sick animals, including disposable gloves, coveralls, boot covers, and eye protection.

Tim Uyeki, chief medical officer for the CDC’s Influenza Division, said last month to avoid getting infected by a cow with bird flu, the recommendation is to wear a well-fitting N95 respirator, along with eye goggles or a face shield and gloves.

The version of the New Mexico guidance published on Monday did not mention masks, even though it linked to the relevant CDC guidance recommending them.

When asked about this omission on Wednesday via email, New Mexico State Veterinarian Samantha Holeck responded with an updated version of the document, which she said was changed “to help with clarity.”

In its list of recommended personal protective equipment for dealing with sick animals, the new version of the document replaces “etc.” with “well-fitting masks covering mouth and nose and/or respirator if available.”

The document makes organizers responsible for deciding whether to postpone or cancel shows, sales or events, “except in the event of quarantine, health order, or movement restrictions.”

If organizers do host events, the document states, the New Mexico State Veterinarian “recommends” they put the precautions in place “to minimize the transmission of HPAI.” It does not require them.

For the general public going into a fair, the risk of catching bird flu is “relatively low,” said Tom Dean, head of the Eastern District for the Cooperative Extension Service at New Mexico State University and co-director of the Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center.

The center helped write the guidelines, along with the New Mexico Livestock Board and the New Mexico Department of Health.

“If I’m a person going to the fair, in order to minimize the risk of avian influenza, I’m going to walk through the barns, I’m not going to pet animals, I’m not going to try to feed animals,” Dean said.

If someone does pet an animal, they should thoroughly wash their hands, and they should be “in pretty good shape,” he said.

“We want to keep it from getting to that stage, where it’s easily mutated and traveling from animal to human,” Dean said.

Researchers have found evidence that the H5N1 variant of HPAI is capable of jumping not only from birds to other species but also between different species of mammals, according to a peer-reviewed study published Thursday in Nature .

“The spillover of HPAI H5N1 into dairy cattle and evidence for efficient and sustained mammal-to-mammal transmission are unprecedented,” the researchers wrote. “This efficient transmission is concerning as it can lead to the adaptation of the virus, potentially enhancing its infectivity and transmissibility in other species, including humans.” NM Biosecurity Fair Recommendatons 2024.V02 updated 7-24

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday added two dairy herds in neighboring Colorado to the list of those confirmed to be infected with H5N1. Two workers in Colorado who are culling poultry tested positive for the virus, state officials said on Monday.

Eight dairy herds in New Mexico have so far been confirmed to have positive cases among cattle, according to the USDA.

No new case detections have been reported since April 17, said Jennifer Green, interim public information officer at the New Mexico Department of Agriculture.

Fair season in New Mexico started this month and runs through October. The document states “the status and/or situation can change anytime, and updates to the guidelines may need to be made and followed accordingly to help reduce spread.”

Holeck said she has been speaking regularly with extension agents and county fair organizers, including at least one veterinarian, about options for each county based on the risk in their area.

“The situation has been rather fluid the last few months, which has posed a unique challenge in creating set guidelines, but we are doing our best to keep people up to date as we move forward,” she said.

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