(NewsNation) — Poultry and egg prices are expected to rise because of an outbreak of bird flu across the U.S.
Since the start of 2022, avian influenza has been confirmed in at least 22 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Roughly 7 million chickens and turkeys have been killed this year in the U.S. due to avian influenza.
On Sunday, Iowa agriculture officials announced another 15,0000 chickens and 37,000 turkeys will have to be killed after bird flu spread to two more farms in the state.
The virus can be devastating for commercial poultry, as entire flocks have to be destroyed once a single bird is infected.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, the risk of infection among humans is low.
Avian flu isn’t a foodborne illness – meaning you can’t become infected from eating poultry after it’s been cooked properly. But you may notice an impact at the grocery store.
According to the USDA, the average price of eggs has increased from $1.57 to $1.62 in just the last week alone.
However, Tom Super, the senior vice president of communications for the National Chicken Council, says they don’t expect the avian flu to impact production or chicken meat prices.
Egg prices, however, may be on the rise as avian flu isn’t the only contributing factor. The demand ahead of Easter and higher costs to feed the birds and ship the products may also impact the prices you see at the store, one economist tells NewsNation affiliate KXAN.
It remains safe to eat poultry products. Cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.