ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 9, 2025) ~ The Maryland Department of Agriculture is urging poultry farmers to take extra precautions after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in snow geese in Dorchester and Worcester Counties on Maryland's Eastern Shore. This news comes amidst ongoing HPAI cases in two commercial poultry operations in Kent County, Delaware.

According to Secretary Kevin Atticks, these recent detections should be a cause for concern for both commercial and backyard flock owners. The department is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates as they become available.

The risk of HPAI is heightened during this time of year as migratory waterfowl pass through Maryland. HPAI is caused by an influenza type A virus that can infect various types of poultry, including chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quails, domestic ducks, geese, and guinea fowl. It is primarily carried by free-flying waterfowl such as ducks, geese, and shorebirds.

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To maintain a safe and biosecure environment for their flocks, commercial and backyard flock owners are advised to follow certain guidelines. These include restricting access to poultry areas by posting signs or securing gates, preventing contaminated materials from entering the growing house or area, providing disinfectant footbaths and mats for anyone entering or leaving the area where poultry are kept, covering feed to prevent wild animals from accessing it, properly containing carcasses and other disease-containing materials to prevent access by wild animals or wind dispersal, allowing MDA inspections during normal working hours to ensure proper biosecurity measures are being followed, and reporting any unusual bird deaths or increases in sick birds to the MDA Animal Health Program or USDA.

For more information on avian influenza and how to protect your flock from this devastating disease, please visit the department's website. The Maryland Department of Agriculture is committed to keeping poultry farmers informed and working towards preventing the spread of HPAI in the state.

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