A human case of bird flu has been confirmed in Ohio.
A farmer in Mercer County contracted bird flu, the Ohio Department of Health said Wednesday. His condition is unknown.
"For most of us, the risk is incredibly low because we don't have exposure," said Dr. Amy Edwards, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at University Hospitals.
Bird Flu does not easily spread from human to human, according to Edwards.
"I think there's been... one or two instances where household contacts did end up with positive antibodies," said Edwards. "But even that is unclear."
Edwards advises everyone to stay away from dead or sick birds and recommends those on farms to contact the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Department of Health for specific guidelines.
A bigger concern for the overall population is the human flu, Edwards said. "It's raging out of control."
"We're in the midst of one of the worst outbreaks I can remember in the last 15 years," she said. "People just need to take care."
Edwards recommends getting the flu vaccination, washing your hands and staying home when sick.
"Bird flu is one thing, but human flu is harming people actively right now," said Edwards. "We've got people in ICUs. We've got people dying. We've got people in the hospital."
