Multiple fronts in the fight against avian influenza, high egg prices

Several fronts open in the fight against extremely pathogenic avian flu – and higher eggs. According to a new report, however, these higher egg prices are not entirely due to avian flu.

The health and plant inspection service of the US Department of Agriculture says that over 150 million birds in the United States have been affected by HPAI 2022, including in the yard and commercial herds.

On February 6, Cobank, part of the US agricultural credit system, launched a report that mentioned: “American consumers are facing a prolonged period with higher egg prices, which will probably extend through the Easter vacation and by 2025. Increased egg prices and increased volatility on the market are largely attributable to the supplies. pathogenic. ”

Increasing demand, not just bird flu

However, the report added that the demand for egg consumption was “erupted” in 2016, making sure that the prices of the eggs would have raised even without the avian influenza and not so much, according to Cobank, the consumption per capita increasing by 20% from 2016 to 2019.

The report said that the cage -free egg demand exceeded the offer. Currently, over 120 million or about 40% of the layers of meal eggs in US trade staff are sheltered in cage -free production systems. Nine states have adopted laws that impose eggs sold in their states to be cedless chickens.

Perhaps surprising for some, given the increase in egg prices, Cobank reported that the total inventories of chickens that lay eggs, including conventional chickens, “were not substantially exhausted from where they were at the beginning of the HPAI outbreak”, because the commercial operators quickly repopulated the flocks. Until January 2025, the US egg industry has only 8% fewer egg chickens than two years ago.

“But Hpai has evolved to become a persistent threat, throughout the year, to production,” the report added. The US plans to import up to 420 million eggs from Türkiye (former Turkey), according to several news sources, in an effort to reduce egg prices.

Petition for repealing the peel egg rule

On February 20, the National Chicken Council requested the administration for food and drugs to reverse or modify a regulation from the Obama era to oblige the broiler industry (chicks raised for meat) to throw what the Council said that “perfectly nourishing and safe eggs” on the market for broken eggs. The Council previously requested the revocation of the rule, but the petition was refused under former President Joe Biden in 2023.

“With the governmental risk assessments that affirm their safety and the fact that surplus eggs would be pasteurized (cooked), we respect the FDA respectively to exercise their application to allow these eggs to be sent for breaking, contributing to the costs and pressures for consumers,” Ashley said.

The granting of the NCC request would issue nearly 400 million eggs in the supply of broken eggs each year, the Council said. This would prevent table eggs from being used as ingredients in salad dressings, bread, cake mixture, pasta, pancake mixture, mayonnaise, ice cream, pie crusts, sauces and other food.

“Is it a silver bullet that will reduce the cost of eggs tomorrow? No, “said Peterson, but it is an option that could be part of a wider plane to help improve a pressure on egg supply as the situation worsens.”

“We are eager to work with the Trump administration to advance policies that provide exemption to American consumers who are struggling with inflation and high prices of food, including record egg prices, exacerbated by HPAI focal,” added Peterson. “An exemption to” The Rule of the Eggs of FDA “will do exactly this.”

Avian flu vaccine approved conditionally

Meanwhile, the global health company Zoetis recently announced the USDA Center for Veterinary Biological has issued a conditional license for its avian flu vaccine, the subtype H5N2, a murdered virus. The vaccine is labeled for use in chicken. The conditional license was granted to demonstrate the safety, purity and reasonable expectations of efficacy based on the serology data.

In a statement, Zoetis said: “The decision to vaccinate flocks of commercial birds against HPAI returns exclusively with the national regulatory authorities in partnership with the Court Bird Industry.”

A spokesman for Zoetis confirmed that the distribution and use of avian flu vaccines are controlled by veterinary health inspection services for USDA. “USDA APHIS VS Authorization is necessary to sell and distribute vaccines in the US, we cannot speculate on costs or manufacture (vaccine) at this time. A conditional license does not grant to the US authority to distribute, promote or sell the vaccine. “

USDA said that any decision to use vaccination requires careful examination of the available vaccines, any impact of using the HPAI vaccine in the field and potential commercial impacts. “Zoetis is ready to help our yard producers implement a vaccination strategy if USDA, along with the patching industry, decide it is the appropriate course of action,” the company said.

A conditional license is used to perform an emergency condition, a limited market, a local situation or other special circumstances and is issued for a finite period of time. Conditional licenses can be renewed at CVB discretion.

Zoetis has a long history in the development of vaccines to approach the avian flu in several countries. In 2016, the company received a conditional license for its H5N1 vaccine and a contractual award for USDA national veterinary stock.

Dr. James Barton is the recent installed director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the Agriculture Division of the University System in Arkansas. Arkansas is the third largest broiler manufacturer. The Barton Laboratory has a staff of six and offers complete services, including necropsy, serology and testing for all diseases of poultry.

The avian flu is not the only threat that Barton’s laboratory monitors. It also monitors Metapneumovirus Avian, a respiratory virus in the puppies that USDA began to follow in January 2024. Although it has not obtained the “press” of avian flu, it is still worrying.

“Symptoms may not be serious in themselves, but if present, they could interact with other pathogens or viruses,” Barton said. However, in December, USDA approved the import of a living metapneumovirus vaccine in the US developed by Vaxxinova in Italy, the vaccine is a liofilized metapneumovirus vaccine to protect against head syndrome in poultry.

Vaxinnova said that he “demonstrated exceptional efficacy and safety by rigorous testing and evaluation.”

“As a result of collaborating with industry organizations, such as the National Federation of Turkey, bird and USDA producers, the US Vaxxinova is now capable of offering the same vaccine that Vaxxinova Italy has provided customers in the last 20 years,” said a spokesman for Vaxxinova.

Prevention remains key

Barton said High Plains Journal, “Prevention remains the main way to deal with avian flu. Biosecurity is very strict. All flocks are constantly tested and monitored. Any unusual thing is observed and the steps to contain them are quickly implemented. “He said that the pressure to test comes from restaurants and food owners, as well as the federal and state authorities. Barton notes that the heat is bad for the avian influenza virus. He said he noticed that slow slow transmission rates in hot months. “The risk is higher in autumn.”

The conclusion for consumers, said Barton, is: “Our offer of food is the safest in the world and it is safer than ever.”

David Murray can be contacted at (e -mail protected).