Event Biosecurity

Biosecurity Protocol for Public Events

Each year, the University of Minnesota conducts several livestock judging contest events for 4-H and FFA youth. These events are generally held on campus (Livestock Arena); the one exception being the state FFA contest in late April, which involves transporting livestock from campus to the State Fair Coliseum. Over 1,500 prospective students come in contact with the St. Paul campus as a result of these events. Other activities that utilize campus livestock include the Minn Royal Showmanship event (for U of M college students/families), Ag Awareness Days (for grade school children) and special Ag Day/Vet Med events.

The above-mentioned activities are all vital to the U of M teaching mission, public relations, and student recruitment. However, to provide added biosecurity measures when conducting public events that involve U of M livestock, the following recommendations are offered:

Judging Contests Held on Campus/MSF Coliseum

• Coaches of 4-H, FFA, and visiting college livestock judging teams must see to it that all their students who intend to compete in events involving U of M livestock fill out and sign a form stating that neither they nor their family members have been on foreign travel to a country with Foot and Mouth Disease within the last 7 days. Also, all clothing they wear to the event must have been cleaned since any contact with animals and shoes sanitized if they have been worn while in livestock areas.
  
  
• To be eligible to participate in the event, the signed "Foreign Travel/Dress Code Rule" forms must be turned in with contest registration materials.
  
  
• Any touching/handling of livestock by contestants should be prohibited.
  
  
• Animals provided for public events from herds/flocks other than the U of M must not be penned in the same facility as U of M livestock. They should be transported and handled by personnel not assigned to the care of U of M livestock.
  
  
• Outside (off-campus) suppliers of livestock for public events should also be required to fill out and sign a "foreign travel" rule form.
  
  
• Non-U of M animals brought in for public events must originate from herds which also follow a veterinary directed biosecurity and disease prevention protocols.

Ag Awareness Day

For public events held in the arena involving grade school children, involved teachers and parents should be informed of the "foreign travel/dress code rule" and see to it that it is followed.

Since the children are from the metro area, touching of animals could be allowed. Their hands should be washed before and after handling animals.

Minn Royal Showmanship

• Campus students and their visiting family members must also follow the foreign travel/dress code rule.
  
  
• Footbaths should be placed at all entrances to the Livestock Arena, and all students, family members, and guests instructed to use them before entering the facility.
  
  
• Footbaths should also be used by students before entering animal barns to fit and work with their assigned animals for showing. Family members should not be allowed in barns at any time, unless permission is granted by barn supervisors.
  
  
• Any fitting equipment (chutes, clippers, brushes, etc.) brought from home should be disinfected before taken into the barns or arena.

Other Ag Day/Vet Med Events Involving Livestock at the Arena

• A biosecurity protocol, similar to that suggested for other public events described above, is recommended.