Ohio county fair hogs to be destroyed after swine flu found

WILMINGTON, Ohio – State officials have ordered the slaughter of nearly 300 hogs at a county fair in Ohio after at least two animals tested positive for swine flu.

WLWT-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2sXxlyN ) a Clinton County fair representative confirmed Thursday that hogs had tested positive and would be slaughtered.

An Ohio Department of Agriculture spokesman said Friday that the fair will disinfect the barn and its contents to stop any spread of the virus. Department spokesman Mark Bruce says any equipment inside the barn will be released to owners after disinfection.

Hog breeder Joey Johnson says it’s been difficult, especially for children whose animals will be slaughtered.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says when humans are infected with swine flu it’s typically transmitted by prolonged exposure to hogs at agricultural fairs.

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This story has been corrected to show the fair will disinfect the barn and its contents, not destroy everything inside the barn.