St. Paul, Minn. - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health encourages livestock owners to make sure their animals are healthy, and their livestock equipment is cleaned before departing to exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair this year. Each August and early September, the state fair hosts more than 20,000 animals participating in livestock competitions, shows and exhibits. No animal may enter, or be present at, a public exhibition if it is showing clinical signs of any infectious, contagious or communicable disease, including ringworm or warts. Official veterinarians will be inspecting all livestock on the day they are admitted and daily during the fair. Any animals showing signs of illness must be removed from the fair at the direction of an official veterinarian.