A man from Mercer County, Ohio, is that state’s first human case of H5N1 avian flu, according to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). The man is a farm worker who was in contact with deceased commercial poultry.

People should avoid direct contact with poultry or wild birds and take proper precautions.

“While the risk to Ohioans is low, the best way to prevent bird flu is to avoid unprotected exposures to sick or dead birds or to their environment,” said ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, in a press release. “People should avoid direct contact with poultry or wild birds and take proper precautions, including reaching out for guidance regarding personal protection and safe handling, if you must be around sick or dead birds.”

Ohio is bird flu hot spot 

No information was provided on the condition of the man, but most human cases of H5N1 have been mild.So far, the United States has recorded 68 human cases of avian flu since 2024, with one death in a man from Louisiana. 

Ohio is one of the epicenters of the US bird flu outbreak, with 54 outbreaks since the middle of January. The outbreaks have led to the loss of more than 10 million birds.