Maryland - Avian flu in poultry 2025-2026

[Commonground]

Preliminary Testing Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Queen Anne’s County

December 20, 2025


ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 20, 2025)— The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced a presumptive positive case of H5 avian influenza in a commercial broiler farm in Queen Anne’s County. This is the second case of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza (HPAI) on a commercial poultry farm in Queen Anne’s County this year and the tenth case in Maryland in 2025. 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.

... https://news.maryland.gov/mda/press-...nnes-county-2/

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https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks

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Maryland Poultry Producers Urged to Move Flocks Indoors Due to Ongoing HPAI Risk

AgriculturePosted on January 16, 2026

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) remains an ongoing threat to both commercial and backyard poultry operations in Maryland and nationwide. Since January 2025, multiple commercial broiler flocks on the Delmarva Peninsula have tested positive for H5 avian influenza, with the most recent Maryland detection occurring in December 2025. The virus also continues to be detected in migrating wild birds, including snow geese and black vultures, underscoring the persistent risk of transmission to domestic poultry.

As of Jan. 8, 2026, HPAI has been confirmed in more than 2,000 flocks across all 50 states, affecting both commercial operations and backyard flocks. In response, the Maryland Department of Agriculture strongly recommends that all poultry producers move birds indoors and maintain confinement until the risk associated with outdoor access can be reassessed. Producers observing black vultures or wild waterfowl near their flocks should take immediate precautions and keep birds indoors.

All poultry producers are urged to maintain strict biosecurity practices, closely monitor flock health, and promptly report any unexplained illness or mortality to the Maryland Department of Agriculture at 410-841-5810, available 24/7. Sightings of sick or dead wild birds should be reported to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources or USDA Wildlife Services.

Visit the Maryland Department of Agriculture's webpage, High Path Avian Influenza: What You Need to Know for the latest updates and resources. Additional guidance and prevention tips are available on the University of Maryland Extension’s HPAI resource page.

https://www.calvertcountymd.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/3056

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wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/4309

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https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks

[Commonground]

Preliminary Testing Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wicomico County

February 14, 2026

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 14, 2026)— The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced a presumptive positive case of H5 Avian Influenza in a commercial broiler farm in Wicomico County. This is the first case of highly pathogenic H5 Avian Influenza (HPAI) on a commercial poultry farm in Wicomico County this year and the second case in Maryland in 2026. State officials have quarantined all affected premises, and birds on the property 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 poultry, like chickens, ducks, and turkeys, along with some wild bird species, such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors.

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.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture continues to urge growers and backyard flock owners to implement enhanced biosecurity practices and become familiar with what to do if HPAI is suspected in a flock. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shares more guidance here.

• Look for signs of illness. Know the warning signs of infectious bird diseases.
• Report suspected sick birds:

• To report a possible case of HPAI in a commercial or backyard flock, call the MarylandDepartment of Agriculture at 410-841-5810.
• Commercial chicken growers and backyard flock owners can email questions about the outbreak to MD.Birdflu@maryland.gov.
• To report a sick wild bird in Maryland, call the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Services hotline at (877) 463-6497 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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 wildfowl, such as when gathering at a local coffee shop, restaurant, or gas station.
• 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 High Path Avian Influenza in Maryland, please visit: https://mda.maryland.gov/Pages/AvianFlu.aspx.

https://news.maryland.gov/mda/press-...comico-county/

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https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks

[Commonground]

NEWS RELEASE: Caroline County Control Area Released

February 19, 2026

Caroline County Control Area Released

HPAI SITUATION UPDATE

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February, 19, 2026)-The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced the release of the control area within Caroline County, MD. The previously infected premise remains under quarantine, but all other farms in the former control area, provided they are not located within another active control area, are no longer subject to movement or placement restrictions and are no longer required to conduct enhanced surveillance testing specific to the control area.

Routine HPAI surveillance continues statewide. Farms that placed birds before the release of the control area are still required to complete biosecurity audits if those audits have not already been completed.

There is 1 active control area on the Delmarva in Wicomico County. Therefore, it is important to maintain strong, consistent biosecurity practices.

What Does it Take to Release a Control Area?

The following conditions must be met to release a Control Area:

continued: https://news.maryland.gov/mda/press-...area-released/

[Commonground]

Preliminary Testing Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Caroline County

February 25, 2026

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 25, 2026)— The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced a presumptive positive case of H5 Avian Influenza on a commercial broiler farm in Caroline County. This is the second case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) on a commercial poultry farm in Caroline County this year and the third case in Maryland in 2026. State officials have quarantined all affected premises, and birds on the property are being or have been depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the infected 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.

continued: https://news.maryland.gov/mda/press-...%20as%20manure.

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https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks

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February 26, 2026

Preliminary Testing Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Caroline County

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 26, 2026)— The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced a presumptive positive case of H5 Avian Influenza on a commercial broiler farm in Caroline County. This is the third case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) on a commercial poultry farm in Caroline County this year and the fourth case in Maryland in 2026. State officials have quarantined all affected premises, and birds on the property are being or have been depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the infected 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 poultry, like chickens, ducks, and turkeys, along with some wild bird species, such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors.

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.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture continues to urge growers and backyard flock owners to implement enhanced biosecurity practices and become familiar with what to do if HPAI is suspected in a flock. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shares more guidance here.

• Look for signs of illness. Know the warning signs of infectious bird diseases.
• Report suspected sick birds:

• To report a possible case of HPAI in a commercial or backyard flock, 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.
• To report a sick wild bird in Maryland, call the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Services hotline at (877) 463-6497 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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 wildfowl, such as when gathering at a local coffee shop, restaurant, or gas station.
• 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 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Maryland, please visit: https://mda.maryland.gov/Pages/AvianFlu.aspx.

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https://news.maryland.gov/mda/press-release/2026/02/26/news-release-preliminary-testing-confirms-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-in-caroline-county/

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https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks

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wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/4309

[Commonground]

March 12, 2026
Preliminary Testing Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Cecil County


ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 12, 2025)— The Maryland Department of Agriculture announced a presumptive positive case of H5 Avian Influenza on a commercial pullet farm in Cecil County. This is the first case of Highly Pathogenic H5 Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Cecil County this year, and the fifth case on a commercial poultry farm in Maryland in 2026. 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 National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) 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 poultry, like chickens, ducks, and turkeys, along with some wild bird species such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors.

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.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture continues to urge growers and backyard flock owners to enhance biosecurity practices and become familiar with what to do if HPAI is suspected in a flock. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shares more guidance here.

• Look for signs of illness. Know the warning signs of infectious bird diseases.
• Report suspected sick birds:

• To report a possible case of HPAI in a commercial or backyard flock, 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.
• To report a sick wild bird in Maryland, call the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Services hotline at (877) 463-6497 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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 wildfowl, such as when gathering at a local coffee shop, restaurant, or gas station.
• 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.

https://news.maryland.gov/mda/press-...-cecil-county/

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https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks