OHIO — The Ohio Department of Health reported Wednesday the state’s first probable human case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, otherwise known as bird flu.

ODH said it was a farm worker in Mercer County who was in contact with dead commercial poultry infected with the virus.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states the current risk of bird flu for humans is low, it’s possible for people who have close and prolonged, unprotected contact with infected birds to be at greater risk of contracting it.

Ohio currently leads the nation in the most bird flu cases in commercial flocks, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the past 30 days, officials have confirmed the bird flu in 54 Ohio commercial flocks.

The last confirmed case was on Feb. 10 in Mercer County, Ohio, which the USDA cited as “commercial turkey meat bird.” More than 20,000 bird have been affected by this, according to the USDA.

Mercer County had three more detections on Feb. 7, affecting more than 400,000 birds, USDA data shows.

“Ohio is experiencing the largest outbreak of positive detections in commercial poultry to date, which requires critical action from our department and our federal partners, to contain and prevent the spread of disease,” said Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge. “As we continue to respond to these incidents, our staff on site continues to educate farmers and their workers on best biosecurity practices. We strongly encourage all Ohio farmers to use good biosecurity to help keep disease away from the farm.”

So far in the U.S., there have been 68 confirmed human cases of bird flu, according to ODH. Those cases have been confirmed in 11 states, including one death in Louisiana. ODH said all but three of the cases involved exposures related to commercial agriculture and related operations or wild birds.

ODH recommends the best way to prevent getting the bird flu is to avoid direct contact with wild birds or sick or dead animals and poultry. Residents are urged to contact local health departments or local veterinarians for further guidance before approaching sick or dead poultry or wild birds.

For those who work with birds, ODH recommends owners to use personal protective equipment, such as eye protection, gloves and an N95 respirator mask, as well as wash hands thoroughly after touching birds or sick animals. ODH also recommends to avoid touching any parts of your face after coming into contact. Additionally, changing and washing clothes can also help prevent the spread.  

There are currently no known cases of human-to-human transmission, ODH said.