Bird flu has been detected in 1.4 million Ohio chickens weeks after it was detected in nearly a million birds in a different flock.

According to the USDA, avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in 1,432,000 chickens in Mercer County, just weeks after the Ohio Department of Agriculture confirmed the infection of 931,302 birds in Darke County on Dec. 27. Mercer County, in western Ohio, is about 120 miles from Toledo and Columbus.

The USDA says more than three million commercial chickens and turkeys in Ohio are impacted by bird flu at this time.

Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge, speaking to WVXU, said the outbreak, which began back in 2022, has “had that roller coaster up and down where we’ve had some spikes.

“Unfortunately, right now, we are kind of at a high-level spike where we’ve had a number of cases here recently,” Baldridge told the NPR station in Cincinnati, saying the virus was most likely being spread from birds migrating over western Ohio and Indiana.

“That’s our big concern, when we look at these birds, and we look out our windows, we consider kind of all those birds being infected. We know that’s a lot of how this is transmitted,” Baldrige said.

Reports indicated the infected birds are being killed by farmers to control the spread of the virus, adding that consumers may see an impact at the grocery store.

“From the consumer side, obviously, as this continues, there could be an uptick in prices,” Baldrige said.

The USDA says HPAI cannot be transmitted through properly cooked eggs or meats, and advises that products should be handled properly and cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Earlier this month, bird flu was detected in chickens at a commercial operation in Caroline County, Maryland.