Delaware reports presumptive H5 HPAI in Kent County broiler flock

Delaware has reported a presumptive positive case of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza in a commercial broiler flock in Kent County, with the affected premises quarantined and the birds being depopulated under state and federal protocols. The Delaware Department of Agriculture said birds from the flock will not enter the food system, and described the event as the state’s second commercial-flock detection of the 2025-26 waterfowl migratory season. Delaware’s avian influenza information center also shows an earlier Kent County commercial-flock detection on January 10, 2026, underscoring that the virus remains active in the state’s poultry sector during migration season. Regional wild-bird activity is part of that picture: neighboring New Jersey recently reported about 1,100 sick or dead wild birds, mostly Canada geese, over a matter of days, with suspected H5N1 prompting closure of Alcyon Lake and an adjoining park in Gloucester County as officials tracked additional reports in South Jersey. (agriculture.delaware.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, especially those serving poultry operations on the Delmarva Peninsula, this is another reminder that H5 HPAI pressure remains elevated at the wild bird–commercial poultry interface. Delaware officials say they are conducting daily surveillance with the University of Delaware laboratory system across commercial operations, backyard flocks, exhibitions, and auctions, while USDA continues to emphasize biosecurity, surveillance in control areas, and rapid reporting of suspected cases. The New Jersey wild-bird event is also a practical reminder not to let clients or staff handle sick or dead wild birds without appropriate precautions and to keep pets away from carcasses or affected shorelines. In practical terms, veterinarians should expect renewed attention to flock monitoring, movement controls, cleaning and disinfection, and communication with integrators and state animal health officials. (agriculture.delaware.gov)

What to watch: Watch for USDA confirmation, any expansion of control-area measures in Kent County, and whether additional Delmarva poultry detections emerge as migratory bird activity continues. It will also be worth watching whether nearby wild-bird mortality events in the mid-Atlantic translate into more poultry alerts or public-access closures as spring movement continues. (agriculture.delaware.gov)