First human case of bird flu reported in Ohio

FINDLAY — State officials have announced the first case of a person in Ohio being infected with bird flu. The state's health and agriculture departments announced Wednesday that a man in Mercer County who works in the poultry industry and who had been in contact with dead birds has been infected with the virus. No information on the man's condition was released. Ohio's poultry industry has been hit hard by the virus. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ohio's has had 56 commercial flocks affected by the disease, more than in any other state. About 10.3 million birds have been affected in Ohio. Wild birds in Ohio also have been affected. Dairy herds also have been infected nationwide. One dairy herd in Ohio has been infected. Nationwide, as of this week, there have been 68 confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The first U.S. death was confirmed in Louisiana in early January. The main effect for most Americans has been a sharp rise in the price of eggs, as farmers have had to kill many chickens to try to keep the disease from spreading. The federal Centers for Disease Control states the risk for most Americans is "low." Most Americans should worry more about flu or COVID-19 and should get the latest immunizations if they haven't already. Flu cases are high nationwide, including in Ohio. That could change if the virus mutates and starts spreading from human to human, sparking a possible pandemic. While that is considered unlikely, that would be a serious health situation if it happened. Katelyn Jetelina, who writes the well-regarded Your Local Epidemiologist newsletter for Substack, wrote that in 2024, she put the probability of a bird flu pandemic at 5%. She has now raised that estimate to 7% to 9%. As for prevention, the state health department indicates Ohioans should avoid direct contact with wild birds and with sick or dead poultry and other animals. People with backyard flocks should use personal protective equipment and take other precautions, such as thoroughly washing their hands. Properly cooked eggs and meat are considered safe to eat, and pasteurized milk is safe. It's probably a good time to avoid raw milk. The Trump administration is naming Gerald Parker, a veterinarian and a bird flu expert, to run the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner and the author of the bestselling book "Uncontrolled Spread: Why COVID-19 Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic," wrote on X.com the selection of Parker is a "strong pick." "He has extensive national security experience in the health realm," Gottlieb wrote.