Bird flu, or Avian Influenza, is a disease caused by influenza type A virus that can infect poultry. Most strains are low pathogenic. Highly pathogenic strains (HPAI) are highly contagious in birds and often cause death in poultry.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife has collected and submitted samples from multiple dead wild birds to test for the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Ohio. While awaiting test results from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory, we are considering reports of dead birds in Auglaize, Erie, Huron, Logan, Lucas, Mercer, Montgomery, Richland, Sandusky, Stark and Warren counties as presumed positive for HPAI.