State officials are on high alert after detecting a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) case at a commercial broiler operation in Maryland, marking the first incident in the state since 2023 and the third in the Delmarva region this month.

Maryland has recorded its first case of bird flu in more than a year, after the virus was confirmed at a Caroline County farm through “routine sampling of a broiler operation," the Maryland Department of Agriculture said Friday.

Maryland agriculture officials have confirmed a case of bird flu at a commercial poultry operation in Caroline County. This is the first case linked to a poultry operation in Maryland and follows two cases reported in Delaware.