The highly contagious bird flu has hit Montgomery County, Maryland, where officials say a backyard flock of chickens tested positive for the virus, making it the first case of a homeowner’s birds having the virus in Maryland this year and bringing the number of cases in the D.

Most of the bird flu cases reported so far in the U.S. have belonged to an influenza subtype known as HPAI H5N1. The newly reported subtype in Merced County is called “HPAI H5N9.” Although H5N9 has been reported before in the U.S., this was the first time it was reported as “highly pathogenic.”

Monday’s amicus brief was spearheaded by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and joined by the Republican AGs of 17 other states. US President Donald Trump's embattled health secretary pick, vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F.