Ohio Department of Health officials advised people against contact with wild birds and said people should take extra precautions with backyard flock.
The warning comes a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked health care workers to test patients hospitalized with Influenza A for bird flu as cases grow around the country, even among those without known exposure the virus.
The CDC reports 67 people have been infected with bird flu nationally since 2022, but Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, said there have been no reported human cases of the virus in Ohio.
“The CDC considers the current risk of bird flu for the general public to be low," he said during a press conference Thursday. "However, people with close and prolonged unprotected contact with infected birds are at greater risk.”
So, what does that mean for people who keep backyard flock, including egg-laying hens?
"I do think you need to have a heightened sense of care and caution, recognizing that your backyard flock is vulnerable to avian influenza," Vanderhoff said. "It is extremely contagious among birds and for birds that may be exposed to the feces and other materials from wildlife."
Dr. Yehia Saif, of the Ohio State University Center for Food Animal Health, said it's still rare for a person to become infected, but the risk increases for people who keep outdoor chickens or other poultry because of the likelihood of contact with birds.
He recommended people keep the animals in an enclosed area, if possible, and to watch the birds closely.
"If you see any evidence of sickness, respiratory disease, drop in egg production or birds not looking good, water consumption is going down, feed consumption going down, then in that case, I would be really very, very careful," Saif said. "I would seek help through your local veterinarian or the (state) animal disease diagnostic lab."
Flock owners should wash their hands, clothes and shoes after caring for their birds, and use disinfectants, he said.
Backyard eggs may not be safe to eat if the birds are infected, but Saif said people can trust eggs from commercial producers, because they are able to easily identify the virus in birds before eggs reach the market.
Northeast Ohio municipalities have varied ordinances for keeping live poultry. Some, like the City of Cleveland, permit live chickens under specific restrictions including number per square feet and enclosure placement. Others, like Parma, do not permit keeping live poultry.
Ohioans can report sick or dead wild birds to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and sick poultry to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
