Bird Flu Outbreak Brings PETA’s Plea to Iowa State Fair: Cancel All Animal Exhibits for Everyone’s Sake

For Immediate Release:
July 22, 2024

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

With the Iowa State Fair’s announcement that it’s canceling two events involving public contact with cows due to the alarming rise in bird flu cases in the state, PETA sent a letter today to the fair’s president, Darwin Gaudian, asking him to cancel all animal exhibits to make the event safer for everyone. PETA’s request comes as a bird flu outbreak spreads nationwide, already infecting more than 160 herds of cows in the dairy industry—including 13 herds in Iowa—and resulting in nearly 18 million chickens being killed on U.S. farms since the beginning of the year.

“Animal exhibits and competitions serve as breeding grounds for deadly pathogens that are hazardous to human health and cause immense suffering to chickens, cows, pigs, and other animals, who feel fear and pain just as any human does,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is urging the Iowa State Fair to end animal-exploitative exhibits and safeguard against the potential spread of a highly contagious and life-threatening disease.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out thatEvery Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. The group also offers a free vegan starter kit on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Gaudian follows.

July 22, 2024

Darwin Gaudian

President

Iowa State Fair

Dear Mr. Gaudian:

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally, including thousands in Iowa—with a plea: Given the alarming rise in avian flu cases worldwide, a serious public health issue, would you please forgo all animal exhibits at the Iowa State Fair to make the event safer for humans and other species? Please allow me to explain.

Since January 2022, there have been 29 reported human cases of H5N1—mostly resulting from direct contact with infected birds—with 15 leading to critical illness and seven to death, highlighting the virus’s high fatality rate. In fact, the National Institutes of Health estimates the mortality rate of H5N1 among humans at 61%, making bird flu one of the most threatening viruses in the world. H5N1 has caused widespread outbreaks among birds in 48 U.S. states and among cows in 12 states, including Iowa. So far this year, Iowa has culled over 4 million chickens due to the virus’s rapid spread. Animal farms aren’t the only culprit for the spread of this deadly virus: Animal exhibits and competitions are also ideal breeding grounds for the spread of zoonotic diseases such as H5N1, which can be transmitted to humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Animals commonly exhibited at agricultural fairs and shows, including pigs, poultry (e.g., chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese), and cattle, can carry and spread influenza A viruses that are different from human seasonal influenza A viruses.” Unsurprisingly, there have recently been four confirmed cases of dairy workers becoming infected with the virus.

Beyond the implications for public health of close interactions between humans and other animals, events such as “livestock competitions” are simply cruel. Chickens, cows, pigs, and all other farmed animals are sentient beings, capable of feeling fear, stress, and pain, just like the dogs and cats we share our homes with.

By discontinuing all animal competitions at the Iowa State Fair, you’d spare countless animals the stress of being transported and exposed to large crowds while also helping to mitigate the potential spread of a deadly virus.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk

President