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HPAI confirmed at large Ohio poultry operation

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed at a large Ohio commercial poultry operation.

Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge tells Brownfield it involves nearly a million birds at a laying facility in southwest Ohio.

“We’re hopeful this is an isolated case. This was our only commercial flock in 2024. We did have one dairy case,” he says.

Baldridge says the department is in the process of depopulating birds to prevent the spread of disease.

“It has no impact to what folks are purchasing and eating. Food safety is a top priority here at ODA,” he says.

He says a root cause hasn’t been determined but the problem is linked to migratory birds.

“Our industry, the poultry industry, here in Ohio and across the country, has done amazing feats as far as really working on biosecurity, working on prevention, but it’s hard to keep everything biosecure.”

Baldridge says Ohio has had HPAI infections dating back to 2022.

The most recent incident was detected by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory on Dec. 27, involving 931,302 chickens at a laying facility in Darke County. The exact location was not given, as the Ohio Department of Agriculture does not identify farms during active cases.

The ODA says when HPAI is detected, facilities are quarantined, and birds are depopulated to prevent the spread of disease. A control area and surveillance zone are also established for additional disease monitoring.

Ohio had four cases of HPAI confirmed in 2024, including a pair of backyard flocks in Franklin and Mahoning counties in February and a single backyard flock in Greene County on Dec. 19.

AUDIO: Brian Baldridge, Ohio Department of Agriculture