In the past few weeks, the price of eggs in the United States has risen sharply. Experts say that with the outbreak of bird flu, they are likely to rise further.

Although the avian influenza has been in the United States since 2022, the biggest outbreak has begun in October and still affects millions of hens. According to data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), since the beginning of January, approximately 14.7 million eggplant -producing chickens have been affected by avian flu, and more than 2023 hens.

"Based on the number of birds we lost in the past few months, the hen's population is not enough to support our needs," Karyn Rispoli, managing director, said price tracking company Expana. "We are now in a real shortage."

According to data from the US Department of Agriculture, compared with the same period last year, in December last year, the number of eggs produced by 4.5 % fell by 4.5 %. In January, as more hens were infected with bird flu, the number of eggs could continue to decline.

Bird influenza specifically affects the hen that produces eggs, because their survival is longer than chicken chickens. These chicken is used for meat, making them more likely to be infected in their lives. The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that human infection with bird flow infection is rare.

As farmers strive to produce enough eggs to keep up with their needs, the wholesale price of twelve big eggs per week is 40 cents per week. As of January 24, the wholesale price of twelve big eggs in New York was $ 7.24, the central and western regions were $ 6.84, and California was $ 8.35.

But consumers usually pay different prices in the store. Many grocery stores sell eggs at the price below their wholesale costs to ensure that customers return to the store to buy other items. Although the average wholesale price in mid -January was about $ 5.80, the average egg price of the store was slightly higher than $ 4, which was higher than $ 2.50 a year ago.

Nevertheless, people began to see the price of some stores rising. Video on social media showed that people were shocked to see a $ 15 carton. A TIKTOK user joked in the video and said, "I will have to start resale."

The higher price of eggs is especially affecting restaurants and bakeries. These restaurants and bakers usually must wholesale eggs.

"We are famous for French macaron ... and these large-filled biscuits, these biscuits are full of cheese cake or peanut butter-all the items are heavy," Henry Claud (Henry Bakery, the common owner of Sugar Bakery, Crawford) runs with his wife, ELA, is located in San Cruise, California. Bakery uses about 800 eggs per week as a dessert. Sixty eggs used to be $ 13 in the past, but in the past few weeks, the price has risen $ 19.

"This makes the profit margin much." He added that it was difficult to increase customer prices. "People are used to paying a certain price."

Many Americans may feel a deja vu when reading the price label on the rosette egg shelter. After the price of eggs that emerged earlier, the price of eggs broke out, rising in December 2022, but after the holiday demand cooled down, it eventually fell again.

But this year's price has not fallen. Lispali said: "The retail demand in January has not really relaxed." People "have become accustomed to higher egg prices, so it is not a real deterrence."

It is difficult to end the current avian influenza. Egg producers have been lobbying the federal government to help funding for vaccine research and biological safety to solve the epidemic. The virus can be spread from wild birds to home hen. Although it is well known, this disease is spread from the contact of birds to birds, but scientists are still not sure whether the infection is spread.

If a chicken in the flock is infected, the entire herd will face the risk of infection. The order of new chicks may take up to one and a half years to achieve it. It is unclear that the number of hens who produce eggs will return to normal.

As Donald Trump and most Republican parties return to Washington, egg prices may become a tricky political point. When a reporter asked the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rising on Wednesday, Leavitt blamed the government at a high price.

She said: "This is such an important example, so that the Senate quickly took action to confirm all the nominations of President Trump."