The governor said he would be an advocate for the state and its farmers but “one of the things that is clear, is the federal government is really going to have to accelerate the research that is being done in regard to bird flu.

Nearly one-third of Ohio’s egg-laying birds have been killed amid the state’s bird flu outbreak, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has affected millions of commercial egg and meat birds in Ohio since 2022.

COLUMBUS (WSYX) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine addressed the ongoing mystery surrounding drone sightings in multiple counties where farms are dealing with an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu.

So far in 2025, Ohio has had 69 commercial poultry flocks hit by HPAI, 45 of which have been in Mercer County. Other Ohio counties to have lost commercial poultry to HPAI in 2025 include Darke, Van Wert and Auglaize.

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has wiped out flocks of chickens throughout the country and resulted in a spike in egg prices.

More than 30% of Ohio’s egg-laying chickens have been depopulated as part of effort to hasten spread of HPAI bird flu.

More news emerges about the newest version of avian flu, and it could mean big trouble for Ohio animal owners.

Avian influenza is destroying Ohio's egg-laying hen population, leading to a statewide egg shortage and record-breaking prices.

Another commercial laying hen flock in Mercer County, Ohio, has been affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported that the presence of HPAI was confirmed on February 25 in the flock, which included 90,000 hens.

Eggs are disappearing from store shelves due to shortages caused by the avian flu outbreak, but never fear — the eggs used to make the flu vaccine are safe. That’s because eggs used for vaccine manufacturing come from isolated flocks that are kept safe from disease,

The number of commercial flocks infected with avian influenza dropped in February, while infections in backyard flocks held steady. Fifty-nine farms were infected last month and accounted for most of the 12.7 million birds lost.