Bird flu has been a looming threat recently, and public health officials are reporting more and more cases. H5N1 has impacted birds, livestock, and humans alike across multiple continents. The first fatal human case of bird flu was reported in Louisiana recently,

Feb. 25 The Department of Agriculture released an updated food price outlook report for the year predicting that egg prices would increase 41.1% in 2025 as they continue to experience “volatile month-to-month changes” because of the ongoing bird flu outbreak—up from the 20.3% increase the USDA predicted in January.

Bird flu is sweeping through egg-laying chickens in the United States at an unprecedented rate. So far in 2025, 30 million layers, as they’re known, have been culled, close to the 38 million killed throughout all of last year: Nearly 10 percent of the country’s annual number of egg-layers have been wiped out.

Egg prices have reached unprecedented levels, with the average cost nearing $5 per dozen in February, driven by a severe avian flu outbreak.

Egg prices fell $1.20 in March, according to the USDA, but the market remains unpredictable. With no cure for avian flu, the government orders entire flocks to be put down to contain outbreaks. Over 35 million birds have been lost this year,

European Union wholesale egg prices have climbed to the highest level in more than a decade as bird flu outbreaks continue to roil the industry across the world.

The United States is facing a dilemma over poultry vaccination as egg prices soar. While vaccinating against bird flu could prevent mass culling and stabilise supply, concerns over trade restrictions and virus monitoring have slowed progress.

The US government is considering bird flu vaccines to prevent the mass culling of infected chickens, which has driven egg prices to nearly $6 per dozen.

Shoppers may finally feel some relief in the egg aisle after waning demand caused steep price declines over the past week, according to new data. Egg prices jumped 10.4% in February as a rampant bird flu outbreak continued to cause widespread shortages,