Officials have confirmed that outbreaks of bird flu are increasing in California and other states, putting poultry and egg supplies nationwide at risk.
Avian influenza has been causing bird deaths for decades, with notable outbreaks in 2004 and 2005. The current outbreak, the most severe in U.S. history, began in February 2022 at a chicken farm in the Midwest.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture shows more than 79 million birds overall have been affected since 2022, a significant increase from 1.3 million birds in October to 11.4 million birds last month. Currently, 25 commercial flocks and 22 backyard flocks are affected, affecting 3.3 million birds in California alone.
A recent surge in highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has caused poultry producers in California’s Sonoma, Marin, and Merced counties to euthanize hundreds of thousands of chickens and ducks. Outbreaks have also been reported in other states, including South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, Arkansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Maurice Pitesky, a professor at the University of California, Davis, told CBS News that these numbers are alarming and could cause poultry and egg prices to rise again.
“This is in some ways an existential issue for the commercial poultry industry,” Dr. Pitesky said. “It’s going to take some time for the industry to adjust to this new reality. But unfortunately, I think we’re kind of in a new world in terms of risk in the United States.”
Last year’s outbreak caused egg shortages and soaring prices. The Wall Street Journal report echoes Dr. Pitesky’s concerns that the same could happen again this year, with egg prices up 12% in the last month, although still half of what they were last year.
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