After a summer without poultry exhibits at county and state fairs around the Midwest, they’re back on in South Dakota.

The South Dakota Animal Industry Board lifted a ban on poultry exhibitions it had issued May 20 in the midst of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu.

The case of bird flu in the country was detected June 17. Since that time, all control zones in South Dakota that had been established to prevent the spread of the disease have been released, and nine of the 10 affected farms in South Dakota have restocked with poultry.

Poultry owners are encouraged to be vigilant for signs of illness in their birds, and to contact their veterinarian immediately if unusual death loss or illness is observed.