US poultry farms saw no let-up in H5N1 avian flu detections over the past 2 days, with more outbreaks reported from eight states, according to the latest confirmations from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

In California, outbreaks hit two more commercial duck farms, one in Madera County and the other in Merced County, affecting about 157,000 birds.
Meanwhile, four more detections were reported in hard-hit Ohio, including three turkey farms and a layer facility that has 1.4 million birds. The virus also struck a broiler farm housing nearly 146,000 birds in Delaware, turkey farms in Missouri and North Carolina, a layer farm in Indiana, and a facility with nearly 48,000 birds in Pennsylvania.
More detections were reported in backyard flocks as well, including those in Indiana, Idaho, and Pennsylvania. Separately, Maryland’s agriculture department reported a preliminary positive in a backyard flock in Montgomery County, which is part of the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
In dairy cow developments, APHIS confirmed one more detection, another from California, raising the national total to 951 and the state’s total to 734.
West Virginia suspends poultry exhibits, Massachusetts issues alert
In other developments, ongoing detections in wild birds and poultry have prompted more actions and warnings in affected states. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture yesterday announced a suspension of all poultry exhibitions due to the ongoing avian flu threat and recent confirmations at commercial farms in surrounding states.
Massachusetts officials this week warned the public about suspected avian flu deaths in wild and domestic birds in several of the state’s cities, which suggest the virus is widespread in the state. It urged people to avoid handling wildlife, including sick and dead birds, and it encouraged the public to report sick and dead bird observations if groups of five or more are found to state officials through an online portal.