COLUMBUS, Ohio — First, bad news: Migratory birds appear to be a vector for the H5N2 avian flu strain and have aided its spread through many western states. The flu then jumped from those "flyways" to the Mississippi flyway, a migratory path across a broad swath of South and Central Americas, the Plains and Midwest states in the United States and into Canada.

Now, good news for Ohio: As of early April, it has yet to be found in this state.

The Ohio poultry industry, including chicken eggs and meat and turkeys, is valued at $1 billion. Mohamed El-Gazzar, assistant professor and poultry extension veterinarian at The Ohio State University, warns the H5N2 strain could reach Ohio at any time.

"The flyways kind of crisscross," El-Gazzar said. "It could be here anytime. Deaths in infected flocks can be as high as 90 percent. The flu acts quickly, often sweeping through a flock before the birds exhibit symptoms."

It should be noted this avian flu strain has not been linked to any human illness, and it is a low risk for infecting humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, H5N2 is lethal to birds and is considered highly contagious. "This particular strain is quite concerning," said Jim Chakeres, executive vice president of the Ohio Poultry Assoc. "In turkey flocks that have experienced this, there is a high death loss."

"Ohio has never dealt with anything like this avian flu," said Tim Barman, a longtime veterinarian and head vet for Cooper Farms in Fort Recovery. Roughly 5 million turkeys are raised at Cooper Farms each year (it provided the turkeys President Obama ceremonially "pardoned" last Thanksgiving).

"We’ve never seen a high pathological avian influenza," Barman said, "and hopefully we never will. The turkey is probably the most susceptible to this virus. It’s very worrisome for everybody. If it gets into an area, it is going to wreak economic terror in that area."

Minnesota is the nation’s leading turkey producer, while Arkansas ranks third (in chickens, as well) and Missouri is fifth, according to the USDA. Ohio ranks eighth in turkeys and second in eggs, while Indiana ranks fourth in both categories. The poultry sector fears the virus could spread through the much bigger domestic chicken industry.