Officials revealed on Friday afternoon that a fourth poultry farm in Maricopa County has confirmed a positive test for bird flu.
Details about the facility remain undisclosed, with the detection occurring during standard testing, as reported by the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA).
Early detection of the virus prevented any symptoms from appearing in the birds. According to AZDA, the farm’s poultry are not yet mature enough to lay eggs.
On Wednesday, samples collected from the site were dispatched to the Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Lab and subsequently forwarded to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory for analysis.
AZDA reports that the threat to the public is currently minimal. Individuals who had direct interactions with the birds face the highest level of risk.
Poultry at the facility are undergoing disposal via a heat and activation method to curb the virus’s spread.
In a decisive move, authorities took action last week by temporarily burying bird carcasses at the third poultry farm in Maricopa that has been hit by infection, aiming to curb the spread of the disease.
Bird remains from the two additional impacted farms were securely placed into certified containers and transported to a landfill.
Avian influenza has been identified in Arizona for the fourth time this year.
In a recent development, a poultry farm in Maricopa County reported the detection of the virus.
