Bird flu has now reached Maryland’s Eastern Shore, raising concerns among poultry growers and bird owners.
According to WBOC, The Maryland Department of Agriculture confirmed that birds in three counties tested positive for the virus in the past week.
Snow geese in Dorchester and Worcester counties have recently tested positive, and cases were also detected at a commercial poultry farm in Caroline County on Friday morning.
Bird owners are being urged to take precautions to prevent further spread of the virus.
“I also encourage all backyard flocks to keep their birds indoors at this time, as they are just as susceptible as we are,” said Mary Lou Brown, owner of Maple Breeze Farm in Hurlock.
The bird flu spreads easily through nasal and eye secretions, manure, and by contact with contaminated surfaces, equipment, or clothing. Wild birds are also a significant factor in transmission.
“With that flyway being open, when we have those positive snow geese on the shore and the positive snow geese that they had in Delaware, we know that it’s being brought in with those wild birds,” said Jennifer Trout, a veterinarian with the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
Poultry growers like Brown are taking every precaution to protect their flocks.
“For one, I have a dedicated truck for the farm that only goes on the farm except to get fuel,” Brown explained.
She also uses dedicated footwear, disinfecting her boots with chlorine bleach powder and wearing them only on the farm.
“Secondly, we will only have personnel on the farm that need to be here. We will not have any outside people on the farm at all,” Brown added.
The virus poses a serious threat to poultry, as it often leads to the death of infected birds, devastating farmers’ livelihoods.
