The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced a second case in Maryland of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI) of a commercial operation in Queen Anne’s County following routine sampling of a broiler farm. This new detection of HPAI comes four days after a presumptive positive was made at a Caroline County commercial poultry farm. There are now four commercial operations in the Delmarva region confirmed to have HPAI, including two Kent County, DE premises.

State 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 affected flocks 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.