H5N1 or Bird flu has been affecting animals, farmers, and shoppers with its harmful impact on chickens and their eggs. This specific strain began in 2020 and has continued to circulate globally. It eventually made its way to America, affecting poultry and causing a shortage in eggs and higher prices for the stock on the shelves.
The Bird flu was detected in 2022 by agricultural and wildlife health authorities monitoring bird populations for signs of illness and has continued to make its way through the United States. Routine surveillance and testing have worked to identify and track the spread of the virus.
H5N1 is highly contagious among bird species, causing severe illness and death, which lays waste to poultry farms. Over the past three years, about 166 million birds have been affected by the disease, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It is a fast-mutating virus that affects not only birds but also cows, other mammals, and possibly humans.
The Bird flu spreads through the saliva, mucus, and feces of infected birds. It can also spread to other animals through respiratory secretions and other body fluids, as well as through eating infected birds. H5N1 has a high potential mortality rate in humans however, the virus has yet to mutate to spread easily between people.
The outbreak resulted in widespread culling, the action of slaughtering inferior farm animals, of about 19 million birds to prevent further spread of the virus. All of this has resulted in a widespread shortage of eggs and caused the eggs that are available to have higher costs.
Even with this issue going on, some people seem unmoved and unaffected by the situation. Sophomore Anthony Valle, a culinary student, is aware of the problem and is unconcerned with the rising prices and shortage of eggs.
“The egg shortage hasn’t really affected me personally, so it’s not a big deal, at least to me. I see how it can be a concern for others as it might make them second-guess buying eggs due to the price. In general, I don’t think it’s much of a concern,” said Anthony.
However, the effects have been felt across restaurants that often include eggs as part of their menu and have had to adapt to the situation. Specifically, Waffle House and Denny’s have begun to add a surcharge, an additional payment, to their egg-based meals. Bakeries have also felt the impact of the higher prices and started to raise prices on their items to keep up with the rising costs. Major U.S. retailers such as Costco and Trader Joe’s have also been forced to take action by imposing limits on how many eggs customers can purchase.
The shortage has led American businesses to search for other egg suppliers, with Turkey answering the call. As stated by CNN, estimates from Turkey’s Egg Producers Central Union show the country’s producers plan to export 420 million eggs to the United States this year. This would be the highest on record, nearly six times last year’s U.S export total. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, Turkey is currently the only foreign country that exports eggs to the U.S.
However, the shortage has also caused issues at the border. Since January, more than 90 people have been stopped from smuggling raw eggs into the U.S. from Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement released on February 21 that their agriculture specialists have issued 16 civil penalties totaling nearly $4000 for violations involving raw eggs, among other prohibited items.
The U.S. government has started to implement new plans to counter these issues. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins described a new strategy in an op-ed piece published in the Wall Street Journal on February 26. Rollins says the strategy will mitigate the spread of bird flu and lower the price of eggs.
Rollins says the USDA will invest $1 billion in the new plan to combat these problems. $500 million will be used to help increase biosecurity measures in farms to prevent the spread of the virus. This plan may include restricting access to farms, increasing sanitation, and improving hygiene. This will expand a program started under the Biden administration, which will send USDA inspectors to evaluate the biosecurity of the farms.
Another $400 million will compensate farmers with flocks that were affected by the virus. Compensation for the loss of chickens is nothing new, however, the USDA added a requirement that the producers pass a biosecurity test to be compensated.
The World Organization for Animal Health says that vaccines for the bird flu may be necessary as the virus is continuing to spread and beginning to affect certain species of mammals. Even with all these plans implemented, Rollins stated that the egg market likely won’t stabilize for another three to six months. However, even with this plan in place, some believe that there isn’t enough being done to counter the prices and shortage.
“It is definitely a concern. I hope it gets resolved soon enough because I’m tired of these crazy prices that honestly make me feel guilty every time I use eggs. I don’t think that the government isn’t doing much about it,” said freshman Isabella Beltran.
