Bird flu reported in Montgomery Co. backyard flock, officials say

[Wicked Blue]

WTOP

A case of the highly infectious avian influenza, or bird flu, has been detected in a Montgomery County, Maryland, backyard flock, officials announced Thursday.

State laboratory testing confirmed a bird flu infection in one chicken, according to a news release from the Maryland Department of Agriculture. As a result, the whole flock and the affected area are under quarantine. The birds on the impacted properties are being or have been “depopulated” to stop the spread of the virus, officials said.

Birds from the affected flock won’t enter the food system, the agriculture department said.

Bird flu “affects chickens, ducks, and turkeys, along with some wild bird species such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors,” officials said in the news release. It spreads via nasal and eye secretions, and through manure.

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2025/02/bird-flu-reported-in-montgomery-co-backyard-flock-officials-say/