“Limit egg carton purchase to 3 per customer,” the sign above the eggs on the store shelves reads.
Grocery shoppers in Northwest Georgia are finding it challenging to find eggs on the shelves and are paying a premium price when they do. According to gathered data, the average price of eggs hovers around $7 a dozen in Georgia, with those closer to Atlanta paying the higher prices. However, many can’t find them at all.
Social media feeds have been buzzing with people trying to find eggs over the past few days. Some of that was because of the panicked buying before the snowstorm hit the South last week and the hurricanes struck the South last fall, coupled with the decreased chicken population.
It’s about to get worse.
Georgia’s poultry business was halted across the state last week after a bird flu case was confirmed in an Elbert County commercial poultry farm. The case was confirmed by both state and federal authorities and was the first case found in Georgia since the avian flu was discovered in the U.S. in 2022.
The poultry industry has lost 133 to 140 million birds since the first avian flu case was discovered in 2022. The loss wasn’t because all those birds, which include all forms of poultry from chicken to turkey and duck, had the H5N1 virus. Many flocks were culled upon government orders to stop the spread of the virus.
No data exists on how many birds were actual virus cases compared to the culling but the latest figures are that more than 20 million egg-laying hens were killed during the last three months of 2024.
Data states there were 98 infected flocks reported over the past 30 days but reports don’t state how many chickens were found to have the avian flu. If one bird is detected, the flock is euthanized to control the spread.
Health agencies have the number of humans infected with avian flu. That number is 67 since 2022. Humans are infected by direct or close content with infected birds. It is rare to pass the virus human-to-human. Avian flu comes with a 50 percent mortality rate for humans with the highest risk to those who are immune-compromised. Early treatment with antibiotics is effective, according to health information.
The loss of millions of chickens leads to a reduction in eggs, which raises the prices. Reports show egg prices have risen as much as 36 percent over the past year, although Georgia prices haven’t seen that sharp an increase. The average price in Northwest Georgia is between $4 and $5 a dozen.
The prices and scarcity are exasperated by the fact that demand has been high over the holidays and January, according to the American Egg Board. The Georgia Egg Board said there have been 20 months of record demand for eggs.
Approximately $590 million has been allocated by the Department of Health and Human Services to pay pharmaceutical company Moderna to move quickly in its avian flu vaccine trials.