Two additional cases of bird flu confirmed in Maryland and Delaware

DOVER, Del. – Lab testing has confirmed two additional cases of bird flu on Delaware and Maryland farms.

We’re told the cases were confirmed on a pullet operation in New Castle County, Delaware, and one broiler flock in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. Following an investigation by the Delaware and Maryland Departments of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory has confirmed poultry from these farms have tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI).

These findings follow previously announced cases on farms in northern Delaware and Cecil County, Maryland. Following these cases, federal and state partners have greatly expanded their surveillance sampling and testing regimen to better protect the poultry industry on the Delmarva Peninsula. State officials say they have quarantined all affected premises, and birds on the properties are being or have been depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. We’re told birds from affected flocks will not enter the food system.

Bird flu is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads quickly among birds through nasal and eye secretions and manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers. Bird flu affects poultry, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, as well as some wild bird species such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors.