MDA: Bird flu could arrive in Maryland by spring

(AP) – Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder has warned that “bird flu” could arrive in Maryland this spring.

Bartenfelder announced Thursday that high path avian affluenza, also known as bird flu, could be devastating to the poultry industry.
    
The Department says bird flu is a viral disease that is spread through the feces of wild migratory birds. It is not a human health issue.
    
Since December, the United States Department of Agriculture has confirmed 223 cases of bird flu in the Pacific, Central and Mississippi migratory bird paths. There are currently no known or reported cases of bird flu in Maryland, but Bartenfelder says flock owners should vigilantly watch for it.
    
Maryland State Veterinarian Dr. Michael Radebaugh says poultry is Maryland’s largest agriculture sector and accounts for 41 percent of all farm cash receipts.