On Mar. 16, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) in Merrick County, Nebraska.

State officials quarantined the affected premises, and birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock did not enter the food system.