Wayne County has its first confirmed case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, state officials reported Friday. The "bird flu" virus was first detected in Michigan in 2022; and has been the focus of attention in recent weeks both in the state and across the country.

For the first time, birds in a Wayne County backyard flock have been sickened by the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, MDARD reported.

The virus was detected in a backyard flock in the U.S. territory, as well as in commercial poultry in Maryland and two Canadian provinces.

The announcement comes one week after officials announced that H5N1 had been detected in a backyard flock in Oakland County and that 12 people who'd had contact with the infected