Though H5N1 bird flu is hardly our only infectious-disease threat with pandemic potential, the virus impacts wild birds and domestic flocks across five continents and has now reached many species of mammals,

The HPAI outbreak that has been raging on since February 2022 has affected over 100 million hens from commercial table-egg facilities, leading to 8% fewer egg-laying hens compared to three years ago, according to a report from CoBank. As a result, the egg supply has been tight, and prices have skyrocketed.

Shoppers may finally feel some relief in the egg aisle after waning demand caused steep price declines over the past week, according to new data.