Additional Coverage:
Seymour, Indiana – A local egg farm has confirmed a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu. Rose Acres Farms, one of the nation’s largest egg producers, released a statement Tuesday confirming the outbreak at their Cort Acre Egg Farm.
The company is working with state and local health officials to contain the spread of the virus. They emphasized that while the risk to other birds is high, the risk to humans remains low.
The outbreak comes amidst rising egg prices nationwide. Experts predict prices could increase by up to 20% this year due to bird flu outbreaks and resulting shortages. Infected birds must be culled, and their eggs destroyed, further impacting supply.
Rose Acres Farms says they are monitoring all their facilities for signs of the virus. State and federal agencies are also tracking the situation, monitoring both animal and potential human infections.
The American Egg Board acknowledges the ongoing struggle against bird flu. While egg sales have been strong recently, the current outbreak presents a significant challenge.
Contributing factors include the virus spreading to dairy cattle and shifting migratory bird patterns potentially linked to climate change.
While bird flu has been detected in poultry and dairy cows across the US, a small number of human cases have also been reported, primarily among farm workers. Most human cases have been mild, with full recovery.
One death has been reported in a Louisiana resident with underlying health conditions. Health officials maintain that there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission and the risk to the general public remains low.