‘Protect yourself’: Should you be concerned about bird flu in Ohio? – WKRC TV Cincinnati
Now 33 Sat 46 Sun 38Expect widespread morning snow, and snow showers in the afternoon and evening. Slushy accumulations of 1-3 inches. Wind gusting to 35 mph!As much as 4 inches of rain fell south of the River. A general Flood Watch continues today.by Tyler Madden, WKRCTOPICS:CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Ohio’s health department confirmed the state’s first human case of bird flu earlier this week.The patient, a Mercer County man who works on a farm, contracted the virus after coming into contact with an infected dead bird.”I think it’s something to be cognizant of so you can do what you can do to protect yourself,” said Dr. Jen Forrester, director of infectious diseases at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.The Ohio Department of Agriculture reported that more than 10 million birds in the state have died from bird flu. Despite the high number of animal cases, Forrester noted that bird flu remains rare in humans.”Bird flu is still really rare in humans,” Forrester said.Experts said that human cases typically involve individuals who work closely with birds.”We figured cases would revolve around farms, slaughterhouses, or processing plants where they work with poultry,” Forrester said. Forrester added that the overall risk is low for those without close contact. Symptoms of bird flu in humans are similar to other respiratory viruses, including fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches. Forrester credited the quarantining of infected birds with slowing the spread of the virus.”[The] more [it] spreads among animals, [the more it] gives it the chance to mutate, and the right mutation allows it to jump to a human,” she said.Forrester reassured the public that there should be no concerns about consuming chicken or eggs.”All the normal things that you would do when you cook with these things, you should definitely be aware of now. Washing your hands and cooking meat thoroughly,” said Forrester.Kim Wright, supervising epidemiologist at the Cincinnati Health Department, highlighted the safety of poultry products in the market.”What’s hitting the market and the grocery store, these are highly regulated industries. Any flock that tests positive, they’re not going to market,” Wright said.Health departments across Ohio continue to monitor the situation.”It’s very low risk to the general public that they’re going to get avian influenza,” said Wright.Wright also noted an increase in seasonal flu cases and urged people to get flu shots to help reduce those numbers.
