ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 12, 2025) - State laboratory testing has detected a case of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI) in an Anne Arundel County backyard flock. 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.