Arkansas has its first confirmed case of bird flu this season, found in a backyard poultry flock in eastern Baxter County, according to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
The department confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, in the flock. It is currently the only confirmed detection in Arkansas, but the department said cases in other states make prevention and monitoring especially important.
HPAI is a severe, highly contagious disease caused by influenza type A viruses. It affects domestic poultry and wild birds, often causing sudden illness or death. There are no approved vaccines or treatments, and the rapid depopulation of infected and exposed flocks is the only effective control method, according to the department…