THE DEADLY AVIAN FLU VIRUS -Nonfiction

A low groan escapes me as I stand in front of the cooler at the grocery store while chilled air sends goosebumps across my skin.

“How are eggs so much?” I say to the man next to me, who stares, then walks away.

“Twenty-one dollars for five dozen eggs. Oofta!”

Not long ago, I had paid under five dollars for five dozen eggs.

My family loves eggs. In the voice of Bubba from Forest Gump, “Fried eggs, scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, poached eggs, boiled eggs, omelets….” I could go on.

Sometimes we crammed ten dozen eggs into our fridge to keep from running out.

-But now! We have significantly reduced our egg consumption.

Why have egg prices skyrocketed? Yes, the economy has driven up the price of gas and everything else, but it cannot take the blame for eggs seemingly costing the price of gold.

The culprit- The Avian Flu.

The deadly Avian Flu virus kills 90 to 100% of egg-laying hens within 48 hours of exposure. The virus is estimated to have already killed 60 million birds, naturally spreading among wild aquatic birds worldwide and infecting domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. With diminishing egg production, the retail demand cannot keep up with production (Wiener-Bronner, 2022).

In mid-November, the average national price for eggs was$3.42 for a dozen Grade A (Iacurci, 2022).

When the Avian Flu moves onto a poultry farm, the farmers must kill the remaining birds as the federal rule demands to prevent the further spread of the flu (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.).

The flu has not affected chickens raised for food, as attributed to a shorter life cycle and a different chicken bread (Tencer, 2022).

I hope egg prices will eventually drop as the flu dissipates and poultry can rise from the grasp of the horrible virus.

As I walk away from the egg section of the grocery store, I scan the job board. Perhaps I will take out a second job to once again fill our shelves with eggs.

References:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.). Information on bird flu. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/index.htm
• Iacurci, G. (2022). Why egg prices are surging — but chicken prices are falling: It’s an ‘act of God’ event, says trade strategist. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/11/why-egg-prices-are-surging-but-chicken-prices-are-falling.html
• Tencer, E. (2022). Cost of eggs, chicken at highest point yet in Utah. Fox 12 Salt Lake City. https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/cost-of-eggs-chicken-at-highest-point-yet-in-utah
• Wiener-Bronner, D. (2022). Why eggs have been so expensive this year. CNN Business News. https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/business/egg-prices/index.html