The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced last week that the bird flu infected a second backyard flock of chickens in the county. The Department did not disclose the location of the backyard flock or how many birds were involved.
The Agriculture Department has quarantined the property and the surrounding area. The infected birds were killed to prevent the spread of the disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the virus is widespread in birds worldwide. It has infected dozens of other species including dairy cows. The CDC reports 70 people also have contracted the virus. Most of the people infected worked on a dairy or poultry farm. However, there are a few cases where the source of the infection is unknown.
So far, there are no cases of people spreading the virus to other people. The CDC says the virus’ risk to people remains low.
For more information, email the Department of Agriculture Animal Health Team at md.birdflu@maryland.gov or call 410-841-5810.
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