The Kansas Department of Agriculture announced on Dec. 4 that it will be lifting the ban placed on poultry exhibitions and other events where birds are gathered or co-mingled.
The order, signed by Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey on June 9, was implemented in an effort to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) and protect poultry health in Kansas, which experienced a positive case of HPAI in Leavenworth County in 2015. Secretary McClaskey, in consultation with Kansas Animal Health Commissioner Dr. Bill Brown, lifted the ban as a result of no new cases of HPAI in Kansas since March 2015.
While the ban is lifted, Dr. Brown continues to encourage all poultry owners to monitor their flocks and maintain good biosecurity practices. For additional information about HPAI and the response efforts in Kansas, go here.
