The price of eggs has soared, and consumers can blame the Bird Flu virus (Avian Influenza or H5N1 virus). Egg prices may increase another 20% in 2025 before decreasing. Darke and Mercer County had two new outbreaks, affecting 1.4 million birds in Mercer County. Bird Flu affects dairy and beef cattle, swine (hogs), even cats, and dogs. Currently, there are at least 100 million poultry affected by Bird Flu and at least 11,000 cases in wild birds identified. The Bird Flu is especially high in wild bird populations and has been around since the 1900s. The problem is it has now moved into domestic livestock farms. So far, 67 human cases in the USA have been identified with Bird Flu, but all the people had direct exposure to poultry on farms or in backyards. This month, one person died of Bird Flu in Louisiana, and another person was identified in San Francisco. Most contact is likely from the virus getting into their eyes, nose, or mouth. Bird Flu is a disease and should be taken seri...

  A wave of Bird Flu (Avian Influenza or H5N1 virus) is crossing the country, infecting both birds and bovine (dairy and beef cattle). So far, there is no evidence that the virus is being spread from mammal to mammal, only from birds or cattle. Poultry (chickens, turkey, ducks) and wild birds like Canadian Geese, pigeons, starlings, and sparrows may all be vectors or spreaders of this disease. Humans in China and Hong Kong have contacted the disease but it is not common in the USA. Milk pasteurization has been shown to be an effective way to keep the virus from infecting humans.  The Bird Flu virus has infected poultry and wild flocks of birds in the USA, Europe, Africa, and Asia. About 15 million poultry birds have died from Bird Flu in 1.5 years. More than 193 million birds have been culled to stop spreading the virus. Now Bird Flu has also been found in bovines or dairy cattle and even beef cattle. Usually milk production drops by 25% or more. Bird flu has been found in sev...