Scientists at the University of Maryland are researching the science behind avian influenza, or bird flu. Dr. Andrew Broadbent, a researcher and professor at the University of Maryland, says the best way to stop outbreaks is to understand how the virus mutates and spreads.

Birds without natural immunity that migrate or roost together in large flocks, such as geese, are most likely to die in large numbers. A recent bird flu outbreak among migratory eared grebes in Utah killed between 15,000 and 25,000 birds near Great Salt Lake, state wildlife officials said in early February.

Maryland’s sixth case of bird flu was detected in a backyard flock in Anne Arundel County, officials announced on Wednesday.