(NewsNation) — The last time eggs were under $2 a dozen was January 2022, around the time the now-widespread bird flu outbreak first originated.
Now, egg eaters are lucky if they can find them cheaper than $7 to $9.
Avian influenza, or bird flu, has killed millions of chicken flocks across the country, which is hurting the nation’s egg-laying population. This has caused a supply shortage and in turn, higher prices for consumers.
Egg prices have skyrocketed, with some grocery stores running out of the food item altogether and some placing limits on the number of cartons people can buy at once.
In a statement to NewsNation, Walmart said they have not put a purchase limit on eggs but acknowledged that “supply is very tight in some areas.”
Experts say it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
The Department of Agriculture reports that 136 million birds have been infected by or died from the bird flu since January 2022. More than 13 million chickens have died in the last month.
In some states like California, prices have reached nearly $9 a carton, up 70% since December, according to the USDA Egg Markets News Report.
Last week before President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Department of Health and Human Services said it would give biotech company Moderna just under $600 million to try to accelerate a bird flu vaccine.
The FDA issued an alert saying eggs are safe to eat despite the infected chickens. Also, the risk of humans contracting the disease is rare.
The CDC has reported 67 human cases and one death in Louisiana. The virus is also spreading among dairy cattle in California.