A case of the very contagious avian flu, or bird flu, was detected in a herd by Montgomery County, Maryland, Backyard Flock, announced Thursday.
A case of the very contagious avian flu, or bird flu, was detected in a herd by Montgomery County, Maryland, Backyard Flock, announced Thursday.
State laboratory tests have confirmed an infection of the bird flu in a chicken, according to a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture of Maryland. Consequently, the entire herd and the affected area are forty. Birds on affected properties are or have been “depopulated” to stop the spread of the virus, officials said.
Birds of the affected herd will not enter the food system, said the Department of Agriculture.
The bird flu “affects chickens, ducks and turkeys, as well as certain species of wild birds such as ducks, geese, shore birds and raptors,” officials said in the press release. It spreads via nasal and eye secretions and manure.
The virus can spread from the herd in herd in “various ways”, according to the department of agriculture, including “by wild birds, by contact with infected poultry, by equipment and on clothes and shoes guards ”.
The first case of bird flu in Maryland since 2023 was confirmed in a poultry establishment in the County of Caroline on January 10. It occurred a few days after the first death of the influenza of American birds in Louisiana.
In January, four Maryland farms were struck by the bird flu: two in the county of Caroline, one in the county of Queen Anne and another in the county of Dorchester.
Despite these confirmed cases, the Maryland Ministry of Health said there was a low risk of transmission between birds and people.
If you suspect a case of bird flu on your property, you must follow these stages of the Maryland department of agriculture:
- Discover the signs of illness. Be aware of the warning signs of the infectious diseases of the birds.
- Call the Maryland agriculture department at 410-841-5810 to report alleged sick birds.
Consult the MDA website for more information on how to protect yourself from the virus.
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