After several new outbreaks in Missouri and Iowa, along with other states, more than 2 million birds—mainly chickens and turkeys—died between February and March due to the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), said federal officials in a recent update. In New Castle, Delaware, between late February and early March, some 1.4 million poultry died after being sickened with bird flu, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a March 10 update on its website. Some 496,272 commercial layer chickens died after contracting HPAI in Cecil, Maryland, according to the agency, while another 150,000 commercial broiler chickens died in Queen Anne’s, Maryland. Significant outbreaks and deaths were confirmed in Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana, South Dakota, and Iowa. Smaller outbreaks were seen in New York state, Maine, Connecticut, Michigan, and Virginia, said the USDA. Officials, meanwhile, said the highly pathogenic avian influenza is now found in about 12 U.S. states as of …