Bird flu, or avian influenza, is spreading across the U.S., causing a significant rise in egg prices and a decrease in availability. Since 2022, more than 150 million poultry birds have been killed across all 50 states in an effort to control a strain of bird flu known as H5N1. This has led to empty egg cartons on grocery store shelves.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the number of infected birds has been rising, with 7 million birds affected in November, 18 million in December, and 23 million in January. Over the past month, 125 flocks across the country tested positive for the virus, with 81 of them being commercial farms and 44 from backyard flocks.
When a bird is infected, the only way to stop the virus from spreading is to cull the entire flock. This can delay the production of eggs, contributing to the price increase.
David Ortega, a food economist at Michigan State University, explained that it takes time for a new flock to start laying eggs. “Whenever you have a detection, you have to depopulate birds in a given area, and it takes time to rebuild the flock and have the layers become productive again,” Ortega told ABC News.
While Ortega doesn’t believe there is a nationwide egg shortage, he noted that the bird flu’s effects on the industry are leading to stock-outs in certain regions. “It’s not that we have run out of eggs, it’s just that supply chains are impacted,” he said.
Waffle House, a restaurant chain with over 2,000 locations, recently added a 50-cent surcharge per egg due to the price increase.
The egg shortage has even led to theft. In Pennsylvania, about 100,000 eggs, worth approximately $40,000, were stolen from a trailer.
Ortega predicts egg prices will continue to rise until bird flu cases decrease. He emphasized that a period of several months with no major bird flu outbreaks is needed for prices to stabilize. “If we were to have four to six months of no major impact on commercial operations, then we would start to see the price decrease,” he said.
In addition to the egg crisis, the USDA recently reported that a strain of bird flu, known as D1.1, was detected in dairy cattle in Nevada. This is the first case of this bird flu strain in cattle.
The bird flu’s spread is also a concern for human health. Since April 2024, there have been 67 confirmed human cases, mostly among farm workers. While most cases have been mild, one death has been reported in Louisiana. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, and the risk to the general public remains low.
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