A backyard chicken flock in Dukes County that tested positive for bird flu last week was euthanized and disposed of by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Health officials are encouraging residents to stay vigilant at reporting sick or dead birds.
The five chickens and three nearby geese were first reported to the state on Feb. 19 and test results came back positive for the bird flu on Feb. 20 according to Phu Mai, the director of communications for the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been recurring in Massachusetts since 2022 and can be fatal to humans in rare cases where there is prolonged contact with infected birds. The bird flu is lethal to cats and guidelines suggest dogs be kept on leashes.
Bird flu first made a resurgence on the Vineyard this winter when it wiped-out a more than 350-chicken flock at Slough Farm in Edgartown. The Slough Farm chickens and last week’s backyard flock are the only domestic flocks that have been confirmed positive in Massachusetts this year.
Officials declined to say what town the outbreak occurred in. MDAR policy only discloses the county where bird flu outbreaks were located to encourage flock owners to report. Slough Farm self-disclosed its chicken deaths to raise awareness for nearby farms.
Brice Boutot, health agent in Edgartown, said the Island boards of health are aligned with the state’s bird flu response plan to prevent any backlash for flock owners that report.
Mr. Boutot said Vineyarders have been responsible for reporting sightings of dead birds which helps MDAR conduct its tests quickly. He encouraged the community to stay vigilant and take precautionary steps, such as removing bird feeders or baths, to stop the spread.
“Biosecurity is the name of the game,” Mr. Boutot said.
Domestic flocks often contract the bird flu from contact with wild birds. Mr. Boutot explained that keeping domestic flocks under a roof or inside a hen house will help keep them safe.
To report sick or dead poultry go to www.mass.gov/reportpoultry
To report sightings of five or more sick/dead wild birds go to www.mass.gov/reportbirds
This article appears in March 6, 2026.
As a matter of public health, as we all share the same air here on MV, why is the “Board of Suppression” denying the public disclosure of where this Influenza is located?
It serves no legitimate public purpose to keep us in the dark.
The health authorities ought to start serving those who pay their salaries and inform us of the location for this “highly pathogenic bird influenza.”
Because the risk is not from one persons affected coop; that risk is mitigated once the flock is euthanized. How the flock got infected in the first place is wild birds. Wild birds fly and don’t care about town lines. The Boards of Health, state health, state wildlife have all been clearly stating for over a year now that the risk for avian influenza is contact between wild birds (especially waterfowl like ducks and geese) and domestic poultry. It’s not suppression, it’s entirely appropriate risk messaging and common sense.