Bird flu detected in nearly 1M chickens in Darke County, suspected in dead waterfowl in 9 other Ohio counties | 31 Dec 2024 | Two Ohio agencies are tracking the presence, or suspected presence, of avian influenza in several counties across the state. On Monday, the Ohio Department of Agriculture announced that bird flu was detected in nearly one million chickens in Darke County, located in the southwest portion of the state. The National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was detected in Darke County on Dec. 27, involving 931,302 chickens. The ODA did not identify the individual farms [?] since the case is considered active. The ODA said that when there is an HPAI detection, the agency quarantines the facility and birds are "depopulated" to prevent the spread of the disease.