(NewsNation) — Despite mass culling efforts, more than 166 million birds have been affected by the spread of bird flu, and the price of eggs is at an all-time high, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Poultry farmers have been working since the outbreak of 2015 to protect their flocks by culling birds in affected areas and requiring workers to change clothes and shower before entering barns, use separate sets of tools and sanitize any vehicles that enter farms.
Despite these efforts, the issue persists, prompting some to question what more can be done.
Farms under pressure to protect flocks
The USDA is working to identify the most effective measures farmers can take and help spot weaknesses in their plans.
The USDA is focused on biosecurity and locking down poultry barns to protect egg-laying chickens. Additionally, it is working on measures for farmers; any farm experiencing an outbreak must undergo a biosecurity audit.
So far, biosecurity reviews have been conducted on about 150 farms, and only one had an outbreak afterward, the USDA said. The government will help pay up to 75% of the needed biosecurity improvements.
The audits are part of a five-pronged approach unveiled by the White House on Wednesday. The USDA is also addressing regulations it believes are driving up egg prices, aside from bird flu.
Trump administration puts up $1B to fight bird flu
The Trump administration will allocate an additional $1 billion to combat the outbreak, bringing the total to nearly $3 billion since 2022. The plan includes $500 million for bolstering biosecurity, $400 million to help farmers with devastated flocks, and $100 million for research, therapeutics and vaccines.
Though there is a potential bird flu vaccine for chickens, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized caution in implementing it.
“It is almost like the flu vaccine. Most people get it, but it only works one out of every two or three times. Before we start sticking our chickens, we need to ensure — when putting that into the food supply — that we know exactly what we are doing.”
Pharmaceutical company Zoetis said it received a conditional license from the USDA for a bird flu vaccine that can be used for chickens. It was granted on the “demonstration of safety, purity, and reasonable expectation of efficacy based on serology data.” The company noted the decision to vaccinate commercial poultry flocks rests with national regulatory authorities and the industry itself.
Egg prices will get much worse this year
The USDA predicts egg prices could increase by more than 40% this year.
In the past month, the price of a dozen eggs jumped nearly 60%. The price was $7.33 on Feb. 7, up from $4.61 on Jan. 10 and significantly higher than last year’s $2.29, per Department of Agriculture data.
The average price of a dozen eggs is currently $8, with some regions seeing prices above $12. The USDA anticipates a 41.1% increase this year, offering little relief in sight.
With the Easter holiday approaching, egg prices are expected to rise even more. The Department of Agriculture predicts prices will likely increase another 20%.
NewsNation’s Mills Hayes and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
