The risk status of avian flu in Maine has been elevated from “moderate” to ‘high.”
“And the reason is migration,” said Jim Britt, spokesperson for the state Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry.
Britt said migratory birds are on the move and it’s their interaction with commercial and backyard flocks that spreads avian flu.
“It really is the time of year for everyone who is a bird keeper, a commercial bird operator, to be increasing biosecurity and doing everything possible and everything right to protect these birds,” Britt said.
Three wild birds in York County recently tested positive for avian flu: two Canadian geese and a great horned owl.
Britt notes that avian flu, which is highly contagious in bird populations, has also been detected in other New England states.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife offers more information and resources concerning avian flu on its website.
