First human bird flu case reported in Ohio, Department of Health confirms

MERCER COUNTY, Ohio — A man in Ohio has contracted bird flu, marking the state's first case of the disease during the current outbreak, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) announced Wednesday.

ODH said the reported probable case of influenza A(H5), also known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza or bird flu, was detected in an adult farmer in Mercer County, Ohio. Mercer County is roughly two hours away from Cincinnati.

The infected man was in contact with deceased commercial poultry that was infected with the virus, ODH said.

Currently, the general risk of bird flu for humans is low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

ODH said the best way to avoid bird flu is to, whenever possible, avoid direct contact with wild birds, as well as sick or dead poultry or other animals. If you find sick or dead poultry or animals, contact your local health department or local veterinarian before approaching, ODH said.

Those who own poultry should practice good biosecurity to keep their birds separate from wild birds. You can click here for more information about best biosecurity practices.

For those who must handle sick birds or other animals, ODH recommends:

Using protective equipment such as gloves, N95 or well-fitting face masks and eye protection

Wash your hands thoroughly after touching birds or sick animals

Avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes after contact with birds or animals, or any materials they may have been in contact with

Change any clothing before contact with healthy birds and animals after dealing with sick ones

Outside of Ohio, the CDC says there have been a total of 68 reported human cases of bird flu, including one death, during this current outbreak. The majority of the cases have been in California, Colorado and Washington.