What is the current situation?
Bird flu is widespread in birds globally and is causing outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows, even causing several recent human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers. Since the outbreak began in 2022, more than 166 million birds across the country have been killed to slow the spread of the virus; 30 million egg-laying birds have been slaughtered since January of this year, significantly disrupting egg supplies. The Department of Agriculture’s policy has been to kill entire flocks any time the virus is found on a farm. Bird flu’s prominence in the media has skyrocketed in the past year since the emergence of human cases, which has raised concerns about negative economic impacts and potential future pandemics.
As of right now, there is no risk of human-to-human transmission, although more people working in the poultry industry are more susceptible to infection. Bird flu has been documented in every state, as well as Puerto Rico. The outbreak has reduced the number of egg-laying chickens, causing the supply of eggs to decrease and the demand to remain high, meaning that prices have never been higher. Unfortunately, it is also increasing the risk of human infection and affecting wildlife.
How is this affecting Hastings?
In the past year, egg prices in New York have risen by nearly 60%. In the chart below, we can compare the prices of eggs from 2022 to now at the Foodtown in Hastings.
| Egg Brand | Price Before Outbreak (New York) | Current Price (Foodtown) |
| Eggland’s Best | $4.00 to $6.00 | $6.49 |
| Vital Farms | $5.00 to $7.00 | $9.99 |
| Foodtown Extra Large | $2.50 to $3.50 | $12.09 |
| Foodtown Large | $1.99 to $3.00 | $11.99 |
| Land O’Lakes | $3.50 to $5.00 | $5.99 |
What is bird flu?
Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is a viral infection that primarily spreads in birds but can infect other animals, including cows and humans. One subtype of bird flu, caused by the avian influenza A(H5) virus, is spreading worldwide and causing infrequent outbreaks in U.S. poultry and cows.
There are nine known subtypes of A(H5) viruses; these subtypes, including A(H5N1) and A(H5N2), are distinguished by variants in the proteins neuraminidase and hemagglutinin. The subtypes are defined by the combination of these proteins. Most A(H5) viruses identified worldwide in wild birds and poultry are low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) strains but are occasionally highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses. HPAI can kill 90-100% of infected birds within a matter of days, sometimes within a single day. Often, symptoms will present themselves 24-48 hours before death; sometimes, onset of death is so fast that symptoms have no time to be seen. With low pathogenic strains, birds may be sick for days to weeks but typically return to normal with the aid of a veterinarian.
How does bird flu spread? What are some signs of bird flu?
Bird flu spreads very easily between birds. It is most commonly spread through close contact with infected birds, shared equipment, or coming into contact with contaminated surfaces. Birds with bird flu might show symptoms like low energy or appetite, reduced egg production, coughing, or sneezing. Although avian flu spreads very easily from bird to bird, it is not easily transmitted from birds to humans. People with bird flu might show symptoms including cough, headache, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sore throat, fatigue, and muscle or body aches. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, going from headaches to seizures to pneumonia, which might require hospitalization. Symptoms in humans often begin within two to eight days and might seem like the common flu.
Economic Damage
As of November of 2024, the outbreak has cost the United States around $1.4 billion, most of which was spent on compensation payments to farmers for the flocks that have been culled. Prior to the outbreak (pre-2022), the average price for a dozen eggs was less than $2.00, but has now risen to over $5.00. Despite the substantial increase in egg prices, chicken prices have remained the same because chickens raised for meat, called “broilers,” are different from egg-laying hens and have not been affected by the flu. There are also large stores of frozen chicken all across the country that are helping to keep chicken meat prices stable. This increase in egg prices has also led some people to consider raising their own chickens.
