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

In addition to the isolation measures, birds were killed to prevent the highly-contagious virus from spreading, officials said.

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.