Illustration by Nat Toner

If you’ve reached for a carton of eggs recently, you’ve probably noticed the increase in price: At the time of publication, a dozen eggs cost just under $6. One of the biggest causes for this price increase is the current outbreak of avian influenza, also known as Bird Flu, or H5.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows with several recent human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers.” When a flock of chickens is infected, farmers are instructed to cull, or kill, the infected flock to prevent further spread. Over 168 million birds have been culled in the U.S. since January 2022, when the virus was first discovered in domestic bird flocks. This disruption in supply has led to the increase in prices.

But bird flu is a bigger issue than rising egg prices. This highly pathogenic strain is adapting and mutating quickly. A new strain of H5, called H5N9 is spreading among Californian ducks, resulting in the culling of nearly 119,000 birds. The already widespread H5N1 has been found in cows, sheep, cats, and other mammals.

Wild birds spread the disease to poultry and cows, who could then potentially go on to transmit the disease to humans. There have been 70 documented cases of H5N1 in humans, resulting in one death in Louisiana since 2024. There has been no human-to-human transmission, yet. However, researchers are concerned that it is inevitable.

A 2024 report on infected poultry farms in British Columbia found that the virus that had been killing poultry there contained a mutation that is resistant to the common influenza treatment for humans, oseltamivir. Meghan Bartes in Scientific America wrote, ”The mutation detection raises concerns that if the strain were to spread more widely and infect humans, it would be difficult to mitigate.”

In an article published at the Harvard Medical School, Jacob Lemieux, Harvard Medical School assistant professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, said, “Most human surveillance is being carried out by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, in coordination with state and local public health laboratories.” Our country relies on the CDC’s efforts to track and trace infectious diseases such as the bird flu.

President Donald Trump doesn’t seem concerned about the “potential pandemic threat” (the verbiage of a Phase II in a pandemic, as delineated by the World Health Organization).

In spite of the outbreak, Trump fired about 1,300 CDC employees mid February. Realizing the mistake amid a measles outbreak in Texas and the ongoing bird flu, the Trump Administration has since attempted to urgently reinstate 180 workers. 

Trump has also withdrawn the U.S. from the World Health Organization, which is one of the organization’s monitoring the bird flu.

The Trump administration has also revoked more than $12 billion dollars in federal grants from states that were tracking infectious diseases.

“​​When we don’t know what our funding is going to be, we can’t prepare for the future — and since we’re working on pandemic preparedness, it paralyzes our work,” said Kathryn Stephenson, Harvard Medical School associate professor of medicine and infectious disease expert at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in the same Harvard Medical School article.

On his Truth Social account, Trump reposted an article by Charlie Kirk, telling people to “shut up about egg prices.”

The bird flu is in the city of Chicago.

On Jan. 8, the Lincoln Park Zoo announced that a Chilean Flamingo died because of the bird flu. The next day, a harbor seal named Slater also died. The Lincoln Park Zoo confirmed the cause of death with a test. They did not know the specific source of the exposure, but stated that “it is near certain the cause is from contact with a waterfowl infected with [highly pathogenic avian influenza].”

Dr. Kathryn Gamble, the Lester E. Fisher director of veterinary services at Lincoln Park Zoo, said in a news release, “While highly pathogenic avian influenza is a naturally occurring virus in free-ranging waterfowl, more mammal species have been reported to be susceptible to HPAI since 2022.” Slater the seal’s death demonstrates the possibility of bird flu infecting mammals — including humans — in the Chicago metropolitan area.

The Lincoln Park Zoo has enacted additional measures to protect animals and humans, including personal protective equipment, removing opportunities for species to cross contaminate, and more focused monitoring for changes in health and behavior. They’ve also closed the McCormick Bird House until further notice.

On Feb. 4, the city of Chicago reported dozens of birds dead all along lakefront beaches from Hyde Park to Wilmette. According to NBC Chicago, crews counted 16 dead birds along 31st Street Beach and more were found at 12th Street Beach and Ohio Street Beach. Witnesses saw geese, ducks, and other birds fall to the ground with tremors and little ability to move, alongside other symptoms that included weakness, lack of balance, diarrhea, respiratory issues and also cloudy eyes.

The Chicago Park District released a statement saying, “The Chicago Park District works closely with city, state, and federal partners to respond to incidents of deceased wildlife on park grounds. We are aware of the recent mortality event impacting bird species along Chicago’s lakefront. The District has deployed personnel to check all beaches and park lagoons after receiving reports of impacted birds at multiple locations. The District is addressing the removal and disposal of carcasses from park property.”

CBS noted that most of the people cleaning up the dead bird carcasses were volunteers from the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors. Most volunteers do not have the adequate protection and training outlined by the Illinois Department of Public Health “Safe Dead Bird Disposal” PDF to safely do such a potentially contagious job.

Annette Prince with the CBCM told CBS News that the approximate 200 to 300 reports made between Friday and Sunday to the CBCM could escalate as the dead birds on the beaches are eaten by gulls and crows, and those birds that are preying upon them could become infected too.

What do scientists recommend the average citizen do to stay safe from bird flu? 

First and foremost, do not touch dead birds. If you see a dead bird, call the city of Chicago through its 311 service.

Take proactive measures to reduce the risk of contagion among birds and mammals.

Remove bird feeders if you cannot commit to cleaning them every two weeks. The intention is to prevent birds from gathering and potentially infecting each other at a dirty feeder. Clean feeders are better because, as Scientific American explains, “Birds that visit feeders tend to be small perching ones that are scientifically known as passerines and there hasn’t been enough evidence of passerties getting sick to make scientists worry.”

Do not let your outside cat roam outside anymore. Cats’ hunting behavior puts them at risk of contact with a sick bird. There have been cases of cats becoming infected with bird flu outside the home and infecting other mammals like dogs or humans inside the home.

Do not feed your cats raw meat or raw milk. As of March 18, the CDC reports 17 US states with bird flu outbreaks in cattle. If a cat eats raw beef or raw milk contaminated with Bird Flu, the cat will become sick and infect other mammals in the home.  Raw food also includes commercially packaged cat food.

Take preventative measures to reduce human-to-human transmission.

As of now, there have been no cases of human-to-human transmission for H5N1. Nevertheless, one may calmly prepare for an outbreak. Purchase N-95 masks and prepare to mask again in socially dense spaces like public transportation and event venues. N-95 masks are the gold standard for the prevention of airborne viral infections. During COVID, N95 and KN95 masks were found to be 48% more effective than surgical or cloth masks.

The American Medical Association states, “Wearing an N95 or KN95 mask reduces the odds of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 by 83%. This is compared with 66% for surgical masks and 56% for cloth masks, further pushing the need to swap out such face coverings for an N95 or KN95 mask for protection from SARS-CoV-2.”

And finally, stay informed. The most important thing is to remain informed and vigilant on the topic of bird flu. Be safe and care for your community.