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Bird flu outbreak at Illinois egg farm affects nearly 1 million hens
An avian influenza outbreak at a commercial egg farm in Clinton County, Illinois, has affected 934,600 birds, according to the USDA, making it the largest active bird flu outbreak in the country.
A highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak at a commercial egg-laying facility in Clinton County, Illinois, has affected 934,600 birds, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed, making it the largest active bird flu outbreak in the country.
Village officials told St. Louis TV station KSDK that the outbreak was at Rose Acre Farms outside Germantown. According to its website, Rose Acre is the second-largest egg producer in the U.S., behind Cal-Maine Foods of Ridgeland, Mississippi.
Because there is no treatment for highly pathogenic avian influenza, infected and exposed birds must be killed to contain the virus. Minnesota has the next-highest number of affected birds among active outbreaks, with 168,880 statewide, according to the USDA.
'A major threat' to poultry
The USDA says the H5N1 virus "is present in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in U.S. domestic birds and dairy cattle," calling it "a major threat to the poultry industry, animal health, trade and the economy worldwide." Its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it continues to monitor commercial poultry operations, backyard flocks and wild birds, and urged bird owners to "practice strong biosecurity."
Detections typically rise in the fall and spring, when migrating wild birds can spread the virus to poultry. Since the current epidemic was first detected in the U.S. in February 2022, more than 210 million birds have died or been killed.
Pressure on egg prices
The loss of nearly a million laying hens could put further pressure on egg prices, since replacing a flock takes time. National average prices were around $3.80 to $3.88 a dozen last month, according to USDA data.
Human infections remain rare. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most U.S. cases have been mild and involved people with known exposure to sick or infected animals.
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