Bird flu detected in Maricopa County, state officials say

PHOENIX - Arizona officials say avian influenza has been detected in Maricopa County.

Per a statement released jointly by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Department of Agriculture on Nov. 25, poultry in a backyard flock within the county tested positive for bird flu.

Officials did not mention where the case was detected within Maricopa County.

"When the poultry began showing clinical signs consistent with avian influenza, samples from the location were submitted to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NNVSL) for testing, and results were confirmed on November 21, 2024," read a portion of the statement.

Officials say the poultry owner reported signs of illness in their flock by using the Sick Bird Hotline.

"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk to the general public is considered to be low, with those most at risk of exposure being individuals directly involved with the daily care and husbandry of the birds," the statement reads.

State officials say anyone who see signs of illness in their poultry should report them to the United States Department of Agriculture's Sick Bird Hotline at 1-866-536-7593.

Case previously discovered in Pinal County

This is not the first time that a bird flu case was discovered within Arizona in recent weeks.

On Nov. 15, we reported that an avian influenza case was discovered at a commercial farm in Pinal County. Officials did not mention where the farm was located.

"The affected poultry farm has been placed under quarantine," state officials wrote at the time. "Enhanced biosecurity measures are in place, and efforts are underway to perform virus elimination."

What is avian influenza?

According to the Mayo Clinic, avian influenza, which is also called ‘bird flu,’ is caused by influenza type A virus infections in bird species.

Per the website, birds could die from avian influenza in very serious cases.

"Bird flu rarely infects humans, but health officials worry because influenza A viruses that infect birds can change, called mutate, to infect humans and spread from person to person more often," read a portion of the website. "Because a new strain of bird flu would be a new virus to humans, a mutated strain like that could spread quickly around the world."