The bird flu outbreak has led to tens of millions of chickens being culled in nine states over the past year, with more hot spots continuing to emerge.
So far, the Department of Agriculture has seen an astounding 41 outbreaks this year that have beaten the entire egg-soaking herd in Arizona, California, Iowa, Arizona, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Ohio has been quarantined for most of this year’s spread, working on another flare-up this week. Egg Market Overview From USDA Agricultural Marketing Services.
The seemingly endless culling caused a shortage of national eggs that inflated prices in the first few months of 2025, with prices in several states peaking at a whopping $8 in February.
The cost has since declined, but the average wholesale price for eggs remains at $3.13, according to the USDA.
A total of 30.6 million chickens have been affected since January, according to the USDA. Of these, 19.6 million people were placed in cages, while the other 11 million roamed freely.
As affected states began to feel pressure, leaders began calling on the Trump administration to strengthen its response, including Ohio’s Republican governor.
“One thing that’s clear is that the federal government must really accelerate the research being done on avian flu,” Gov. Mike DeWine said last month.
Last month, the USDA proposed a $1 billion master plan to tackle the avian flu that should start moving this summer. Of that, $400 million will be set aside to help affected farmers clean and rebuilt the farm.
At the very least, that was a plan ahead of the Department of Health and Human Services layoffs led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., resulting in the firing of those tasked with dealing with the avian flu.
Notorious anti-vaccine Kennedy Scion argued that farmers should avoid immunizing their flocks to avoid “turning them into mutant factories.”
Since April 2024, 70 cases of avian influenza have been reported. Update from CDC In March. So far, no cases have been caused by human-to-human transmission.
“The current risk of avian influenza to the general public is low. However, people who have close, long-term unprotected contacts with infected birds and other animals are at a higher risk of infection.” Ohio Department of Health I said.
Since the beginning of 2022, approximately 168 billion poultry birds have been affected by the avian flu. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
