Avian flu found in Charles County backyard flock

Preliminary laboratory testing confirmed avian flu in a Charles County backyard flock of birds, according to Maryland Department of Agriculture officials.

Birds in the flock had a high mortality rate and were submitted to the state lab for necropsy, confirming they had died of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory is expected to have the final results of the testing in the coming days.

Avian influenza is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among birds through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus affects chickens, ducks, and turkeys, along with some wild bird species such as ducks, geese, shorebirds and raptors.

The birds affected in the backyard flock in Charles included 27 chickens, one duck and one goose according to Jessica Hackett, director of communications at MDA.

Neither Hackett or other local and state officials contacted would say what town the flock was located in.

Officials have quarantined all affected premises and birds on the properties are being or have been humanely depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease, according to Hackett.

MDA will not release the location of the flock “for security purposes,” Hackett said.

The last time the disease was detected in the state was last fall when avian influenza was found in a broiler operation in Caroline County. Before that, cases were found in spring 2022 on the Eastern Shore and fall 2022 in an Anne Arundel County backyard flock.

“The latest non-negative result should serve as a reminder for all poultry growers, operators and backyard flock owners to remain vigilant when it comes to the threat of HPAI, especially as the spring migratory season begins,” Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks said in a release. “Regardless of flock size, biosecurity remains the most effective way to prevent the spread of this disease among poultry.”

Jonathan Moyle, a poultry specialist for the University of Maryland Extension, said that there’s a very low risk of transmission to humans and that the birds found to be infected will likely be euthanized.

Moyle suggested that as birds begin migrating north, people should keep their poultry cooped up to not let migratory birds infected with the disease spread it further.

To help prevent the spread of avian flu, the Maryland Department of Agriculture recommends cleaning and disinfecting transportation, removing loose feed, keeping visitors to a minimum, washing hands before and after coming in contact with live poultry, providing disposable boot covers and/or disinfectant footbaths for anyone having contact with a flock, changing clothes before entering poultry areas and before exiting the property and cleaning and disinfecting tools or equipment before moving them to a new poultry facility.