No end in sight for bird flu outbreak causing skyrocketing egg prices

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The ongoing bird flu outbreak has cost the government an estimated $661 million and added to the pain of consumers at the grocery store after more than 58 million birds were culled to limit the spread of the virus .

In addition to the cost of the government response that the USDA has tallied and rising prices for eggs, chicken and turkey, farmers who raise these animals have easily lost more than $1 billion, said an agricultural economist, although no one has calculated the total cost. still in the industry.

The bad news is that with the epidemic entering its second year and the spring migration season looming, there is no end in sight. And farmers can’t do much beyond the steps they’ve already taken to try to keep the virus out.

Unlike years past, the virus that causes highly pathogenic avian influenza found a way to survive last summer’s heat, leading to an increase in reported cases in the fall.

The outbreak is already more widespread than the last major bird flu outbreak in 2015, but it hasn’t yet proven to be as costly, in part because government and industry applied lessons learned eight years ago. .

“The past year has been devastating for the turkey industry as we experience, unequivocally, the worst HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) outbreak in industry history,” said the door- National Turkey Federation speaker, Shelby Newman.

In the current outbreak, 58.4 million birds have been slaughtered at more than 300 commercial farms in 47 states. This is because each time the virus is detected, the entire herd on that farm – which may number in the millions – must be killed to limit the spread of the disease. Only Hawaii, Louisiana and West Virginia have yet to report avian flu cases. Iowa — the nation’s largest egg producer — leads the nation with nearly 16 million birds culled.

In 2015, approximately 50 million chickens and turkeys were slaughtered on more than 200 farms in 15 states.

This previous outbreak remains the costliest animal health disaster in US history. The federal government has spent nearly a billion dollars to care for infected birds, clean barns and compensate farmers. This cost the industry an estimated $3 billion as farmers incurred additional costs and lost money when they had no birds on their farms.

Those bills continue to pile up this year as cases spread, and that includes the cost to consumers.

The price of eggs jumped to $4.82 per dozen in January from $1.93 a year earlier, according to the latest government figures. This outbreak has prompted calls for an investigation into price gouging, although the industry maintains that the combination of bird flu and significantly higher food, fuel and labor costs is what makes raise the prices so high.

The price for a pound of chicken breast was $4.32 in January. That’s down slightly from last fall, when the price peaked at $4.75, but is up significantly from a year earlier, when chicken breasts were selling for $3.73. the pound.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t track retail turkey prices the same way as part of its inflation data, but the Department of Agriculture says the wholesale price of turkeys has risen from 1 $.29 a pound last January just before the outbreak of the avian flu outbreak to $1.72 a pound. last month.

The number of birds culled last spring peaked at nearly 21 million in March, leaving farmers wary of what they will face in the months ahead. University of Georgia virus researcher David Stallknecht said there’s hope this spring won’t be as bad, as turkeys and chickens may have developed some immunity to the virus.

The main problem with bird flu is that the highly contagious virus is easily spread by wild birds through their droppings and nasal secretions. Despite farmers’ best efforts, it is difficult to keep the virus out.

Farmers have gone to great lengths by requiring workers to shower and change clothes before entering barns, sanitizing trucks entering a farm, and investing in separate tool sets for each barn. Some farms have even improved barn ventilation and installed laser systems to discourage wild birds from congregating.

“We recommend that all producers increase their efforts to protect their birds through good biosecurity practices,” said Lyndsay Cole, spokeswoman for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service who directs the government’s response.

Farmers started following these steps after the outbreak in 2015, and that outbreak only reinforced the need for enhanced biosecurity.

“US egg farmers continue to strengthen biosecurity protocols to protect our flocks and maintain a stable egg supply. We are grateful that there has been little to no farm-to-farm spread in this current outbreak,” said Oscar Garrison, senior vice president of food safety and regulatory affairs at United Egg Trade Group. producers.

Poultry and egg producers, in partnership with the government, are analyzing this outbreak for new lessons on how to keep birds healthy.

“That’s really the key – early detection. It’s a bit like a forest fire – the sooner you detect it, the easier it is to contain and eradicate it,” National Chicken Council spokesman Tom Super said.

Officials say bird flu does not pose a significant threat to human health. Human cases are extremely rare and none of the infected birds are allowed to enter the country’s food supply. And properly cooking poultry at 165 degrees Fahrenheit will kill all viruses.

There was only one confirmed human case of bird flu during this outbreak and it was a man who helped cull and remove infected birds from a farm in Colorado. He recovered from the illness after a few days.