Avian flu was detected in a backyard flock of about 15 ducks and geese in Madison County, according to Madison County Public Health. It is the first known case of avian flu in domestic birds in the county, but a bald eagle found in the county in September 2022 tested positive for avian flu.

State officials said the virus was found in a backyard flock, Monroe County's first case since flu was first detected in Michigan.

HPAI spreads easily among birds and – while rare – can spread from birds to people. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the risk to people from HPAI viruses to be low.

Dead wild birds recently sampled across several Lower Peninsula counties are suspected to be positive for bird flu.

"HPAI is a highly contagious virus that can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected animals, by equipment, and on the