HOPKINS, Minn. — The latest bird flu outbreak is impacting Hopkins-based Michael Foods. Its parent company Post Holdings confirmed that a Michael Foods third-party contracted egg-laying flock in Iowa tested positive for the virus.
The Iowa facility alone houses about 4.5 million hens, which is about 12% of Post's egg supply.
Since the outbreak started in 2022, avian influenza has affected more than 100 million poultry all across the United States.
"If you've been to the grocery store lately, you recognize the price of eggs has really gone up quite a bit even lately and has remained high," said Jeff Bender, a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Bender also serves as the director of the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center.
Bender said he expects egg prices to go up again after Michael Foods' supply was hit.
It's not just eggs. Avian influenza was found in dairy cows for the first time in March, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The USDA is ordering testing across the nation's milk supply over bird flu concerns. The virus has spread to more than 700 dairy herds across 15 states, most recently linked to raw milk in California.
"The good news is pasteurization kills this virus. But again, it signals this evolution of the virus into different species and the challenges that it poses as we try to control it," Bender said.
Bender said one thing that doesn't get discussed enough when talking about this issue is the real impact it can have on rural communities and people's mental health. When the virus gets into a barn, it virtually kills the barn, and that can cause a lot of stress for the farmers.