Ohio leads the nation in recent bird flu cases among commercial poultry operations, with more than 4.1 million chickens and turkeys affected so far this year.

At the same time, high prices of poultry profucts and eggs in grocery stores - exacerbated by the impact of bird flu on flocks - are driving more shoppers to consider purchasing from local producers.

Recent history makes clear that microbiological disasters can strike anytime. But a longer history should remind us of the great strides we’ve made in protecting ourselves from our viral enemies, writes guest columnist Jason M.

The latest data from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA's Avian Influenza Tracker shows a significant impact in Ohio over the past 30 days.

Avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in 1,432,000 chickens in Mercer County, , according to the USDA, just weeks after the Ohio Department of Agriculture confirmed the infection of 931,302 birds in

Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is suspected to be spreading among wild birds in Stark County, according to ODNR.

More than 6 million commercial birds tested positive for bird flu in the Miami Valley in 2025, according to ODA.

Bird flu has been detected in another commercial flock in western Ohio. The USDA confirmed that 1.4 million egg-laying chickens in Mercer County are affected by the virus. This comes weeks after avian influenza was detected in a large flock in nearby Darke County.

Ohio Department of Health director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff has cautioned Ohioans to continue to take these illnesses seriously.

According to the United Nations, it has killed more than 300 million birds worldwide and one person in the U.S. Health officials still said the risk for the public is low right now but a professor at Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine said the medical community has been scrambling to slow down the spread.

After a lull in dead bird reports, the Ohio Division of Wildlife recently received a report that there were at least 15 ‘dead and dying geese’ in Bowling Green.

Bird flu has been detected in another commercial flock in western Ohio. The USDA confirmed that 1.4 million egg-laying chickens in Mercer County are affected by the virus. This comes weeks after avian influenza was detected in a large flock in nearby Darke County.