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Chickens at a commercial poultry farm in this 2023 photo.
CELINA - Although highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, is a very contagious and often deadly respiratory disease of poultry; the disease still presents virtually no risk to humans, Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge told The Daily Standard.
The National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed a bird flu detection in Darke County on Dec. 27 involving nearly 1 million commercial chickens, according to an ODA news release.
This was the first commercial outbreak of bird flu in Ohio in 2024, Baldridge said.
The laboratory confirmed a bird flu detection in Darke County involving 931,302 commercial layers (chickens). ODA does not identify individual farms during active cases.
The nearly 1 million chickens have since been depopulated, the release states. As defined on the USDA's HPAI page, "depopulation refers to the rapid destruction of a population of animals in response to urgent circumstances with as much consideration given to the welfare of the animals as practicable."
While some poultry operations in Mercer County are on high alert, there have been no reported cases of HPAI in commercial layers in Mercer County.
"We had went through almost the full year with no other commercials," Baldridge said. "Now we had, I think, three others that were backyard flocks. So that could be a very small flock. And as far as commercial, we've just had the one."
On Dec. 31, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife shared that they're considering the reports of dead wild birds found in Auglaize and Mercer counties as presumed positive for bird flu, according to an ODNR news release.
In recent weeks, Canada geese, trumpeter swans and one mallard duck have been reported dead and are being tested.
"While awaiting test results from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory, the Division of Wildlife is considering reports of dead birds in Auglaize, Mercer, Erie, Huron, Lucas, Montgomery, Richland, Sandusky, and Warren counties as presumed positive for HPAI," the release states.
HPAI occurs naturally in bird populations and is monitored closely by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center. Native Ohio birds such as shorebirds, raptors and waterfowl are vulnerable to HPAI. Domestic chickens and turkeys are also vulnerable to HPAI. The virus is transmitted from bird to bird through feeding and interactions.
Baldridge said the key to containing bird flu in commercial livestock operations, is to operate as a closed facility.
"One, our biggest concern with bird flu is wild birds and the migratory birds that have moved. Keeping regular birds that we see flying around every day out of their facilities. As we look at birds and different types of wild birds, we kind of look at them and say, 'OK, they could be a carrier.' The goal is to keep them out of the facilities. And then, even as far as basic safety, just not going to a neighbor's facility with your dirty boots, and or your feed trucks. Making sure that those feed trucks are not going from one farm to the next where they could be spreading anything within that movement."
The ODA monitors the disease through regular testing, he continued.
"The producers, the farmers, they submit tests to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, to our animal disease diagnostic lab," he said. "So those tests are submitted. We do a lot of testing. The producers, they are on top of monitoring their livestock."
If a producer were to see a sickness or death of a bird, they immediately go on the defensive, Baldridge continued.
"(They become more) aggressive toward testing," he said. "So they send those tests to our lab and then, all of a sudden, if we have a positive, then that triggers the process that we get through with bird flu."
When there is a detection, ODA quarantines the facility, and birds are depopulated, or euthanized, to prevent the spread of the disease. A control area and surveillance zone is set up to monitor other facilities nearby and USDA guidelines are followed.
Baldridge stressed that bird flu presents "almost no" risk to humans.
"Very, very literally, not hardly any risk at all has been identified with humans," Baldridge said. "We have had good collaboration with the Ohio Department of Health and the local health authorities. They monitor these staff and people that work at these facilities. It's just one of those things they're taking precautions too. … But no, we can't say (definitely) none. You never know."
In this 2012 photo, turkeys await processing on a Pennyslvania farm.
More than 60 people in eight states have been infected, with mostly mild illnesses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One person in Louisiana has been hospitalized with the nation's first known severe illness caused by the virus, health officials said in late December 2024.
The virus was detected for the first time in U.S. dairy cattle in March 2024. Since then, bird flu has been confirmed in at least 866 herds in 16 states.
However, milk and eggs are safe to consume, Baldridge said.
"(It is) absolutely perfectly safe," he said. "Because of the great work that's done through the industry. What we're dealing with here is actually dealing with livestock. Not their products that are produced from the livestock. Our milk, our eggs, our agricultural products are fully safe, fully vetted and so forth. And so (we're) not concerned as far as the end product - this is dealing with that animal that is producing that product."
HPAI cannot be transmitted through properly cooked meats or eggs, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Products from any HPAI-affected flocks are prohibited from entering the food system.
As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees is recommended as a general food safety precaution.
All Ohioans can report sick or dead wild birds suspected of HPAI at 800-WILDLIFE (945-3543) or wildohio.gov. Any raptor, such as a bald eagle, or waterfowl, such as geese or ducks, should be reported. In addition, any other large congregation of sick or dead birds should be reported.
-The Associated Press contributed to this report.
