Federal laboratory testing has confirmed a case of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI) on a Cecil County poultry farm.
The United States Department of Agriculture National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed a Cecil County sample tested positive for HPAI. The Maryland case comes one week after a HPAI positive test at a poultry operation in neighboring New Castle County, DE.
The locaton of the farms in Maryland and Delaware was not disclosed.
Maryland and its federal and state partners have expanded surveillance sampling and testing following the Delaware case.
The Cecil County and New Castle farms are being “depopulated,” with growers asked to monitor chicken deaths.
The Cecil farm is strictly quarantined; only authorized personnel will be allowed on the premises.
“Avian influenza does not affect poultry meat or egg products, which remain healthy and safe to eat and handle. However, all poultry growers, operators, and owners, including those who manage backyard flocks, must remain vigilant,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “MDA, USDA, and other partner agencies are working diligently to address and localize the situation, including quarantining and testing nearby flocks.”
Avian influenza is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads quickly among birds through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds.
Cecil County, on Maryland’s Upper Shore, has been part of a northern expansion of the poultry industry from the Delmarva Peninsula.
No cases have been reported on Delmarva.
