According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. national average retail price of eggs per dozen hit an all-time high of $6.23 in March 2025 (Figure 1). Experts attribute this in part to an outbreak of a highly contagious and deadly viral disease in domestic poultry flocks that has resulted in the loss of mi…

Avian influenza, sometimes referred to as “bird flu,” is a disease caused by influenza A viruses. It can be highly contagious and has a history of infecting birds, wildlife, and humans. A subtype of avian influenza, H5N1, was first detected in 1996 in Guangdong Province in China and has been spread globally by migrato…

Avian influenza (i.e., bird flu) is a contagious viral disease of domesticated and wild birds. Depending on the viral strain, the disease can cause little to no signs of illness—referred to as “low pathogenic avian influenza”—to a range of symptoms from serious illness to death—referred to as “highly pathogenic avian…