Nearly a year after it began, the worst outbreak of bird flu in the United States continues to decimate poultry across the Midwest and Colorado, frustrating efforts to prevent the virus from affecting the nation’s egg prices and supply.
And the disease has even been reported in other animals. In Montana, for example, three young grizzly bears contracted bird flu this fall and were euthanized, the first known cases in the species. The bears likely contracted the virus by eating infected birds, according to Jennifer Ramsey, a veterinarian with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
In South Dakota, where the virus reached commercial poultry farms in March of last year, more than 1.3 million birds have died from the disease, according to data from the USDA. Nebraska, the state where 4.8 million birds died during a 2015 bird flu outbreak, has surpassed 6.7 million bird deaths in the current outbreak, according to state and federal data. Meanwhile, Colorado has lost more than 90 percent of its laying hens, with an estimated 6.25 million birds killed overall.
Nearly 48 million birds killed
To prevent bird flu from spreading, entire flocks of birds must be culled after infection is confirmed. The outbreak has so far killed nearly 58 million birds in 47 U.S. states, according to the USDA.
According to Bill Scebbi, CEO of Colorado Egg Producers, the flu has been devastating to Colorado’s egg industry, with farmers having to buy eggs from out of state to meet customer demand. Farmers are not insured against the virus, Scebbi said, and so the estimated losses are in the millions of dollars.
Avian Flu in the U.S.: Farms Recovering
Still, according to Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, which represents egg producers, many farms across the country are recovering from the outbreak. There are currently about 6 percent fewer hens laying eggs than normal nationwide, she said.
Wholesale prices for large eggs in the Midwest hit a record $5.46 a dozen in December, according to research firm Urner Barry. However, prices have already fallen to $3.77 a dozen this month, following seasonal demand from the baking season.
Source: Canal Rural