The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets on Friday announced that it has issued an order to ban all live fowl shows and exhibitions to help prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza to the state’s poultry.

The current outbreak has impacted 17 states so far and is rapidly expanding nationwide, according to a release from the department. Arkansas, Iowa, and Georgia have also banned shows. The New York ban will remain in effect until further notice.

To date, four flocks in New York have tested positive for HPAI. HPAI has also been detected in wild birds, including snow geese and wild ducks across New York State.

Department officials are reaching out to poultry and egg farms across the state to ensure best practices are being implemented and to prepare for potential additional avian influenza cases in New York.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these recent HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have

The department encourages all poultry producers, from small backyard to large commercial operations, to follow these best practices:

— Discourage unnecessary visitors and use biosecurity signs to warn people not to enter buildings without permission;

— Ask all visitors if they have had any contact with any birds in the past five days;

— Forbid entry to employees and visitors who own any kind of fowl;

— Require all visitors to cover and disinfect all footwear;

— Lock all entrances to chicken houses after hours;

— Avoid non-essential vehicular traffic on-farm;

— After hauling birds to processors, clean and disinfect poultry transport coops and vehicles before they return to the farm; and

— Report anything unusual, especially sick or dead birds.

To report sick birds, unexplained high number of deaths, or sudden drop in egg production, contact the department’s Division of Animal Industry at 518-457-3502 or the USDA at 866-536-7593.