(RALEIGH) -- Big changes, aimed at keeping visitors safe and healthy, are on the way at the North Carolina State fair, which opens on Thursday. 25 people got sick from e-coli at last year's fair, and the illnesses were traced back to a livestock barn.

State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said a multi-agency study commission was set up to implement changes before this year's Fair opens to the public. "I wish we could throw the livestock buildings wide open, but that's not the case and we did have a commission meet most of the winter that I appointed," said Troxler.  "That included all different facets of the livestock and the public health and the Wake County environmental health people and we do have these changes that we've made."

The measures, which include different animal and pedestrian patterns in and around the livestock buildings, are expected to reduce contact between people and animals.  The new patterns will move pedestrian traffic away from the barns, and relocate some food vendors.