United States Continues To Face Egg Shortage Resulting From Avian Influenza

 Avian Influenza — an outbreak that has caused millions of deaths among birds — has resulted in an egg shortage following the widespread infection of hens in the United States since Jan. 2022, according to Forbes and the Centers for Disease Control and Protection.   

A recent report by Forbes indicated that 110 million birds have been affected by the illness since January 2022, and this bird flu continues to cause a spike not only in deaths but also in the price of eggs. The average cost for a dozen eggs in January was $4.95, a 53% rise since this time last year, according to nerdwallet.com.  

This significant jump in cost comes at a time when Americans are consuming more eggs on average than during the previous few decades, as they are viewed as a “versatile and affordable protein source,” according to Forbes.  

Although the influenza crisis has impacted the entire nation, rising egg prices is not a new phenomenon. There have been several factors that have contributed to this occurrence in the past including inflation, a rise in agricultural production costs, changes in demand throughout the year and state regulations regarding cage-free production, according to Forbes.  

Due to these circumstances, farmers and businesses are forced to raise their direct sale prices too, with some enforcing a purchase limit in an attempt to accommodate growing demand. Supermarkets like  Walmart, Costco and Trader Joe’s are only a few of the stores that have recently enforced new rules regarding the purchase of eggs from their stores, according to NBC News.  

As many businesses use rationing as a means to combat the dwindling supply of eggs, some customers have resorted to theft. Several investigations have opened in response to the mass stealing of eggs throughout the nation, one of them regarding a distribution trailer break-in Feb. 1 in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, resulting in $40,000 worth of eggs being stolen, according to Yahoo!News. Approximately 100,000 eggs were taken.   

 Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins considers the egg crisis one of her top priorities to address at the beginning of her term.  

“My very first briefing in my office last night was on the Avian bird flu,” Rollins said, according to Fox News. “We are looking at every possible scenario to ensure that we are doing everything we can in a safe, secure manner, but also to ensure that Americans have the food that they need. As a mom of four teenagers, I fully understand and feel the pain of the cost of these eggs.”  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the infection is not known to be prevalent in humans. However, 67 infections have been reported in the U.S. since the initial outbreak, with the first human death occurring in January. Although the spread is not severe, the CDC is taking precautions and monitoring the outbreak closely.  

It’s hard to discern how long the disruption will last. However, the United States Department of Agriculture predicted that egg prices will rise over 20% in 2025, according to Fox News.  

Hagen is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion.