A positive case of H5 avian influenza was detected at a commercial broiler farm in Dorchester County, the Maryland Department of Agriculture said Monday.

Georgia officials announced Wednesday that a second commercial poultry flock in the state had been found with a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

The Georgia Department of Agriculture's (GDA) Commissioner has suspended all poultry farm activities across the state of Georgia, following the first confirmed case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in chickens at an Elbert County farm.

As bird flu swept through Europe in 2023, the U.S. enacted import bans. In October 2023, France became the first major poultry exporter to vaccinate farm-raised ducks nationwide. While there was some debate that vaccinated birds might mask infection signs, the U.S. and Canada were convinced enough to lift restrictions last week.

Further cases in poultry — both commercial and backyard flocks — have been recorded in nine more European states.

The national spread of the disease has alarmed public health officials, who remain concerned it could spread to humans on a large scale.

Georgia’s $7.75 billion commercial poultry industry – one of the largest in the nation – was working Tuesday to keep bird flu from spreading after a case was confirmed in an operation in Elbert County.