A record rise in egg prices in the United States due to the outbreak of bird flu and increased demand

Egg prices in the United States reached record levels, driven by the outbreak of bird flu that caused the death of millions of poultry, coinciding with increasing demand during the holiday season.

According to Bloomberg, the average price of 12 large eggs reached $5.67 this week, exceeding the previous highest level recorded in December 2022. This comes in light of declining supplies due to production losses resulting from the outbreak of the disease, and increased demand for eggs during the winter holiday season.

Since mid-October, about 17 million chickens have been slaughtered, making this period one of the worst in the current outbreak, which first began in American poultry flocks in February 2022.

The virus has also spread to other types of animals, including dairy cows, and a serious human case of H5N1 was recorded in Louisiana this week.

At a time when many food items are seeing lower inflation rates, egg prices continue to rise, especially in states with strict egg production laws such as California’s cage-free egg requirements.