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Ohio’s poultry industry taking preventative measures to protect against HPAI

Ohio’s state veterinarian says producers are taking preventative steps to protect the state’s poultry industry against highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Dennis Summers says enhanced biosecurity remains a top priority.

“Producers are really paying attention to the movement of on-farm personal and traffic on and off their sites,” he says. “They’re really looking at some of the mitigation strategies on their farms to deter the waterfowl population from having access to the facilities within a close proximity.”

Brian Baldridge, director of Ohio’s Department of Agriculture, says joint efforts with other state and federal agencies is critical.

“A lot of work has been done at USDA,” he says. “I appreciate the collaboration with ODA, our state poultry association, and our farmers and producers. We’re preparing again and are planning for the worst and hoping for the best.”

Avian influenza was recently detected in a backyard flock in Auglaize County. Fourteen birds have been depopulated. 

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.

Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk.

More than fifteen million birds have been impacted by the virus in 2025.

For more information click here. 

AUDIO: Brian Baldridge and Dennis Summers