Avian influenza (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, is significantly affecting commercial poultry flocks across the United States. The virus, first detected in 2022, is now spreading among livestock, including cattle, and has even been reported in humans. While the risk to human health remains relatively low, with only one death attributed to the virus so far, it is important to note that human-to-human transmission has not been observed. However, the ongoing spread of the virus poses a serious concern for both animal health and the broader agricultural industry, resulting in the Minnesota Department of Agriculture launching a new pilot program to test unpasteurized milk for highly pathogenic bird flu on Feb. 24 as an emergency response to the epidemic.

Aside from the loss of animal life and the threat to humans, one consequence of avian flu outbreaks is its impact on the production supply of grocery staples like eggs, leading to shortages that increase prices. In 2022, the USDA attributed record-high wholesale egg prices to reduced flock numbers thanks to the avian flu outbreak, and similar patterns are repeating themselves this year. The national average price of eggs hit a new all-time high in January, soaring more than 15% in a single month to $4.95 for a dozen large Grade A eggs, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Egg prices have changed the breakfast habits of senior Raven Glaser’s family. “My dad eats omelets for breakfast every morning. So I think we’ve just been more conscious of how much egg prices are. We try not to have extra eggs. So he still has his morning breakfast [omelet], but instead of having two eggs in it he has one egg instead, and like other things like that,” said Glaser.

But not all students are experiencing the impacts of the bird flu – some, like senior Natalie Waibel, have avoided the drastically changing market altogether.

Waibel’s experience with eggs has been unique. Her family has been sourcing products from local farm Nelson Grass Farm since they moved to St. Paul when Waibel was in elementary school. As a result, Waibel neither realized what the flu had done to the egg industry until recently nor directly felt its impact. “To be honest, I’m not really sure [of the flu’s impact]…I feel like, if I’m giving my money to local farmers, I’d rather do that than to grocery stores that are owned by big companies like Whole Foods,” said Waibel. The price Waibel’s family pays, which is usually around five dollars, is starkly different from those currently spotted in grocery stores: in Minnesota, the average cost is $7.50 a dozen.

The shortage in grocery stores is not only a result of chickens dying from the flu: 166 million birds–mostly egg-laying chickens–have been killed to limit the virus’ spread. The U.S. Agriculture Department predicts record egg prices could soar more than 40% in 2025, as the Trump administration offered the first new details Wednesday about its plan to battle bird flu and ease costs; however, the government freeze on research funding has put efforts to monitor the progression of bird flu in Minnesota on hold.