The ongoing bird flu crisis in the American Midwest is raising concerns among agriculture experts and growers on Delmarva.
The Delmarva Chicken Association (DCA) reports that approximately 600 million chickens were raised on the peninsula in 2023 alone.
"Last year, our wholesale value of the chicken we produced was $4.4 billion," Director Holly Porter said.
Despite the strong production numbers, an avian flu outbreak in 2022 continues to affect the entire country. Recently, an outbreak in Iowa has necessitated the euthanization of nearly 4 million chickens.
Jessica Hackett, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Agriculture, highlighted that the risk of spreading the flu is particularly high during the spring and fall migration seasons.
"Anytime you think about when the birds are flying south or flying north, that's when we're on our highest alert," Hackett said. "It's happening primarily in the major flyways. We're in the Atlantic Flyway, so we're most affected by birds heading north and south along the coast."
Porter believe the immediate threat to the region remains minimal but said the recent news is a reminder to stay vigilant.
"It still makes all of us nervous," she noted. "High-path avian influenza has not gone away. This is the same strain that has been circulating since late 2021 into 2022."
The crisis may now be extending beyond poultry, with dairy farms also potentially at risk. Hackett explained, "Parallel to what's happening in the poultry population, we're also seeing it spread in the cattle dairy population. We've had no issues here in Maryland, but we are on high alert."
Officials emphasize that biosecurity measures are the best defense against avian flu outbreaks. These measures include limiting visitors on poultry farms and preventing cross-contamination.
While avian flu is deadly for chickens, the risk to humans is currently very low. However, there is concern that the virus could mutate and potentially spread more easily among people. Monitoring for human infection and person-to-person transmission remains a high priority.
The most recent case of avian flu in Maryland was detected on February 22, 2023. In Virginia, the last reported case was on March 7, 2023, and in Delaware, it was on September 24, 2022.