Bird Flu (Avian Flu):
You’ve probably seen the skyrocketing egg prices, and wondered what was happening. As you may or may not have heard, a flu by the name of the Bird Flu (H5 Bird Flu) has been going around. This widespread outbreak has affected the entire world even spreading to humans working in the U.S. Dairy and poultry workers. Since the outbreak began, nearly 158 million birds have died, with a 23 million from just last month. Bird Flu variations can spread to cows and cows with the flu can spread it to other species including humans. What’s surprising is the flu can reproduce and spill over into the milk that is produced. The strain from the cows has already been reported to have spread to a 13 year old girl in British Columbia, nearly killing her. The girl had been hospitalized for months and had just been released. The Bird Flu has existed since 1878 but this is the first year that a person from the U.S. has died from it. The person who died was a man over 65 in Louisiana, symptoms are unknown. Although the chances of getting the Bird Flu remain low, that could change.
The death rate for Bird Flu in humans is over 50%. Meaning that if you get the Bird Flu you’ll probably die. For comparison the death rate from the Bird Flu is over 14x higher than the rate of Covid-19. No human to human transmission of the disease has been found but mutations of the flu could have chances to have human to human transmission.
We have already outlined some symptoms of the Bird Flu such as coughing, runny nose and more. Although this is helpful, lab tests are currently the only method to identify the Bird Flu. More research is still needed to fully understand this situation. For now, make sure to cook eggs thoroughly and drink pasteurized milk and cheese.
Egg prices:
With the same demand but less supply, prices are bound to increase. A dozen eggs have increased by almost 40% in 2025 with the average price at nearly $5 for a dozen eggs. In some countries a dozen eggs is over $10, and prices are predicted to continue rising. With the shortage of eggs, Costco, a retail company, has opened egg lines at multiple locations. Consumers reported having a limit on the amount of eggs purchased by each person and eggs gone in less than 8 minutes from when the store opened. Maybe find some alternatives to eggs for the time being.
