The outbreak of bird flu has killed millions of poultry and is driving up the prices of eggs and chicken.
“We can’t begin fixing it the next day. It is really a six-to-nine-month process. It’s causing some shortages in certain markets that are intermittent and localized,” said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board.
Fewer egg-laying hens means fewer eggs, more empty store shelves and higher prices.
The average price of a dozen eggs of any kind at the end of December was $4.33, up nearly 25% from the beginning of November, according to Nielsen IQ data provided by the American Egg Board. And that’s on top of what has already been a startling rise throughout the year: Egg prices were up 37.5% year-over-year in November, according to the Consumer Price Index.
Americans have also not fared too well with the bird flu.
At least 66 people, most of them dairy workers, have been infected. Last week, the Louisiana Health Department reported the country’s first human death from bird flu: that of a 65-year-old man who had exposure to a backyard flock.
Samples of the virus collected from the Louisiana patient showed concerning signs of mutations that could make it more transmissible to humans, although, according to the CDC, the virus hasn’t yet spread from person to person.
Many ask if the disease can be transmitted through food. Technically, yes, bird flu can be transmitted through food. “We know that it can because already several cats have become ill and even died as a result of consuming raw milk contaminated with H5N1,” says Felicia Wu, PhD, a professor of food safety, toxicology, and risk assessment at Michigan State University.
However, no instances of bird flu being transmitted to people via food or drinks have been reported during the U.S.’s current outbreak.
The government has two bird flu vaccine candidates in limited quantities in its stockpile. Biden administration officials have said they have no current plans to authorize them. However, in his final days in office, Biden announced $206 million in funding to support bird flu monitoring and other preparedness efforts.
Experts warn that a pandemic due to bird flu is a looming threat.
