Bird flu has been detected in a backyard chicken flock in Maricopa County, following a similar outbreak earlier this month, the Arizona Department of Public Health and Arizona Department of Agriculture said in a news release Monday.
The infected birds were discovered after the owner reported symptoms through the Sick Bird Hotline, state health officials said. Samples from the affected flock were sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory for analysis, which confirmed the presence of the virus on Nov. 21.
State officials have placed the affected area under quarantine and began steps to eliminate the virus, they said. The incident follows a similar outbreak earlier this month in Pinal County, where the virus was detected at a commercial poultry farm on Nov. 11, state health officials said at the time….