Bird Flu Detected In Anne Arundel County Flock

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — A backyard flock in Anne Arundel County is presumed to have tested positive for the highly contagious bird flu.

This is the county's third case of the year. The other cases were in March and May.

The birds on the property are being depopulated, or euthanized, to prevent the spread of disease. Birds from the affected flock will not enter the food system.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that it quarantined the affected premises. Officials did not say which town the flock was located in, only listing it as somewhere in the county.

The preliminary bird flu test was positive. Additional samples were sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory for further confirmation.

All announcements about Maryland's bird flu outbreak will be posted at mda.maryland.gov/avianflu.

Related: Egg Price Spike Tests Bakers' Creativity As MD Battles Bird Flu

The Maryland Department of Agriculture shared these details about bird flu:

Background

Avian influenza is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads quickly among birds through nasal and eye secretions and manure. The virus can be spread from flock to flock, including flocks of wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, equipment, and the clothing and shoes of caretakers. This virus affects poultry, like chickens, ducks, and turkeys, and some wild bird species, such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors.

If You Have Sick Poultry Or Experience Increased Mortality

• Commercial poultry producers should follow the protocol of notifying the company they grow for when they notice signs of disease.
• Maryland backyard flock owners who notice any of the signs of HPAI in their flock should email the email the Maryland Department of Agriculture Animal Health team at md.birdflu@maryland.gov or animalhealth.mda@maryland.gov or by calling 410-841-5810. Please be prepared to provide your contact information, size of flock, location, and concerns. Do not take dead or sick birds to a lab to be tested to move them off-site.

As a reminder, backyard flock owners are required to register their flocks with the Maryland Department of Agriculture to assist in protecting Maryland’s poultry industries from diseases such as HPAI.

How to register?

Complete the Maryland Poultry Premises Registration Form
Email the form to animalhealth.mda@maryland.gov
Mail the form to 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401

Additional Information

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to assess that the current H5N1 bird flu risk to the general public remains low. People with job- or recreation-related exposures to infected animals are at increased risk, especially when those exposures happen without the use of appropriate personal protective equipment. Additional information for workers exposed to H5N1 bird flu is available here.

Additionally, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources urges waterfowl hunters to take safety precautions to prevent the spread of the virus by washing hands and clothes after handling game and using dedicated clothing, boots, and tools for cleaning game that are not used around domestic poultry or pet birds. Individuals who encounter a dead wild bird should call USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which is coordinating collection and disposal efforts with the Department of Natural Resources, at 1-877-463-6497.