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Ready for more bad infectious diseases news? There's an outbreak of bird flu making its way into U.S. poultry flocks. If the virus continues to spread, it could affect poultry prices — already higher amid 

The price of chicken breasts this week averaged $3.63 per pound at U.S. supermarkets — up from $3.01 a week earlier and $2.42 at this time last year, 

confirmed at a commercial flock in Nebraska

, causing 570,000 broiler chickens to be destroyed. In Delaware and Maryland, more than two million birds at commercial poultry flocks have been affected.

 last week led to the killing of 85,000 birds. An outbreak confirmed March 14 at a commercial operation in Wisconsin meant more than 2.7 million egg-laying chickens were killed.

 across commercial and backyard flocks in 17 states since the start of the year. That figure includes chickens, turkey and other poultry.

identified a case of avian flu in a wild bird

 in mid-January, the first detection of the virus in wild birds in the U.S. since 2016. Wild birds can spread the virus to commercial and backyard flocks. By Feb. 9, the virus had been identified in a commercial flock in Indiana.

hundreds of confirmed cases of wild birds

 in the U.S. was from December 2014 to June 2015, when more than 50 million chickens and turkeys either died from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or were destroyed to stop its spread.

, according to agriculture data company Gro Intelligence. But at the same time, prices for cuts of chicken geared toward the export market actually dropped due to bans on importing U.S. poultry in countries including China, South Korea, Cuba and Mexico. So the cost of leg quarters, for instance, dropped 18%, according to the data. Poultry prices — especially for eggs and turkey — were affected for years, the company reports.

The impact on prices this time depends on how widespread the flu becomes

Whether the 2022 avian flu will affect the price of eggs and poultry depends on how widespread it becomes, says 

, a poultry science expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences.

"In 2015, we did see quite an increase in egg prices," 

. "The chicken meat wasn't severely affected at that time. We did see quite a loss in turkeys, so turkey prices went up. So, we'll see. If a lot of farms contract this, then we could see some real increases in price."

What's the risk to humans from this bird flu? Not much so far, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 on March 7, the H5N1 bird flu poses a low risk to the public, and is currently "primarily an animal health issue." The CDC notes that some people may have job-related or recreational exposures to birds that put them at higher risk of infection.

You can't get avian flu from eating poultry or eating eggs that are properly prepared and cooked, 

. The chance of infected poultry entering the food chain is extremely low, the agency says, because of its food inspection program and avian flu response plan.

"All poultry products for public consumption are inspected for signs of disease both before and after slaughter," the USDA notes, and avian flu causes a rapid onset of symptoms in poultry.

For producers who suspect their flock may be affected by avian flu, the USDA has 

, including a sudden increase in bird deaths, lack of energy and appetite, and a decrease in egg production. If a flock is found to be infected by bird flu, the USDA moves quickly — within 24 hours — to assist producers to 

Business and Economic News

Agriculture

Laurel Wamsley

Author

Bird flu has been confirmed in poultry in 17 states since the start of the year. Whether the outbreak will affect the price of eggs and poultry depends on how widespread it becomes, an expert says.

Avian flu is infecting U.S. poultry flocks. It could affect the price of chicken, too

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