As Ohio leads the country in bird flu cases, there are steps residents can take to help protect themselves, keep their pets healthy and prevent the disease from spreading further. The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI),

Health officials said the case involves an adult male farm worker who had contact with deceased commercial poultry.

The first case of bird flu in a human in Ohio has been reported, according to officials. A farm worker from Mercer County, Ohio, located on the state's western border along Indiana, came into contact with deceased poultry that was infected with the virus, the Ohio Department of Health announced on Wednesday.

Ohio has recorded its first probable case of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, in humans. According to the Ohio Department of Health, the patient is a man who works at a farm in Mercer County and was in contact with dead commercial poultry that was infected with the virus.

A Mercer County farm worker came into contact with dead poultry that was infected with the disease, the state's health department reports.

Ohio's health department confirmed Saturday that a farmer in the state was discharged from the hospital after being sickened by bird flu, marking the fourth American to have been hospitalized with the H5N1 virus.