Preliminary Testing Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a Montgomery County Backyard Flock

ANNAPOLIS, MD  (January 30, 2025)— State laboratory testing has detected a case of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI) in a Montgomery County backyard flock. Maryland Department of Agriculture officials have quarantined all affected premises, and birds on the properties are being or have been depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the affected flock will not enter the food system.

Confirmation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory is pending with final results anticipated 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 can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers. This virus affects chickens, ducks, and turkeys, along with some wild bird species such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors. 

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.

Why register?

The registration program helps protect Maryland’s poultry industries from disease. The information collected helps animal health officials identify at-risk animals and premises.

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

According to the Maryland Department of Health, the risk of transmission between birds and the general public is low. Those who work directly with poultry or dairy farms may be more at risk and should follow key biosecurity practices.  Additional resources can be found cdc.gov/birdflu.  

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.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture recommends the following biosecurity steps if HPAI is suspected on personal property, wild birds, or in a commercial operation.

• Look for signs of illness. Know the warning signs of infectious bird diseases.

• Report suspected sick birds:

• To report a possible case of HPAI call the Maryland Department of Agriculture at 410-841-5810.  

• Commercial chicken growers and backyard flock owners can email questions about the outbreak to MD.Birdflu@maryland.gov.

Key biosecurity practices:  

• Clean and disinfect transportation. Don’t walk through or drive trucks, tractors, or equipment in areas where waterfowl or other wildlife feces may be. If you can’t avoid this, clean your shoes, vehicle, and equipment thoroughly to prevent bringing disease agents back to your flock.  This is especially important when visiting with farmers or those who hunt wild fowl such as when gathering at a local coffee shop, restaurant, or gas station.  For a full list of products from the EPA certified to be effective against HPAI please visit this website.

• Remove loose feed. Don’t give wild birds, rodents, and insects a free lunch. Remove spilled or uneaten feed right away, and make sure feed storage units are secure and free of holes. Wild birds can carry HPAI.

• Keep visitors to a minimum. Only allow those people who take care of your poultry to come in contact with your birds,  including family and friends. Make sure everyone who has contact with your flock follows biosecurity principles.

• Wash your hands before and after coming in contact with live poultry.  Wash with soap and water. If using a hand sanitizer, first remove manure, feathers, and other materials from your hands because disinfectants will not penetrate organic matter or caked-on dirt.

• Provide disposable boot covers (preferred) and/or disinfectant footbaths for anyone having contact with your flock. If using a footbath, be sure to remove all droppings, mud or debris from boots and shoes using a long-handled scrub brush BEFORE stepping into the disinfectant footbath, and always keep it clean. 

• Change clothes before entering poultry areas and before exiting the property. Visitors should wear protective outer garments or disposable coveralls, boots, and headgear when handling birds, and shower and/or change clothes when leaving the facility.  

• Clean and disinfect tools or equipment before moving them to a new poultry facility. Before allowing vehicles, trucks, tractors, or tools and equipment—including egg flats and cases that have come in contact with birds or their droppings—to exit the property, make sure they are cleaned and disinfected to prevent contaminated equipment from transporting disease. Do not move or reuse items that cannot be cleaned and disinfected—such as cardboard egg flats.

For more information on avian influenza, visit: https://mda.maryland.gov/Pages/AvianFlu.aspx 

###