The current eggs shortage in the United States is due to a large outbreak of Avian Influenza Virus or “Bird Flu” (H5N1) among the nations laying hen population. In December 2024, the average price of eggs was already high at $4.15. The price of eggs is expected to increase greatly this year, if you can even find any. Many grocery stores are experiencing significant egg shortages. While consumers are concerned about the egg shortage and the skyrocketing price, many are rightly concerned about the public health risk of the bird flu epidemic itself. Should we be worried about getting bird flu from eating eggs or poultry? Are there any confirmed cases of humans contracting this illness recently? What about deaths?
In other words, are eggs safe to eat right now? The answer is that as long as they are properly cooked, yes. The same thing goes for chicken.
Is there Bird Flu Virus in Our Eggs?
According to the USDA, the potential for bird flu actually entering the food chain is extremely low. The USDA has developed an avian influenza response plan that it says prevents infected birds and eggs from entering the food chain.
The onset of influenza symptoms in chickens is rapid. This means that viral infection can be identified in egg laying hens quickly enough to prevent their eggs from entering the market.
How Should Eggs Be Cooked to Kill Bird Flu?
According to the CDC, to ensure that eggs are safe to eat on the off-chance they are infected with bird flu virus, eggs must be cooked to a temperature of 165 F. This will not only kill viruses like avian influenza, but also bacteria like salmonella. Note that cooking an eggs until the egg whites and yolk reaches over 160 F will coagulate the yolk. So, if you like your yolks runny and you’re worried about the bird flu, you’ll have to make a sacrifice. While I cannot give you advice on what you should do, over-medium eggs are typically achieved by frying an egg until the yolk is 149 F. Again, there is not much chance of infected eggs actually reaching the market but how much to cook your eggs is your decision.
Safe Food Handling to Prevent Contracting Bird Flu
Preventing food-borne illness, including bird flu, salmonella, norovirus, etc. requires proper safe-food handling. Here are the general rules for handling food in a safe and responsible way:
• Before and after handling raw poultry and eggs, always wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds
• To prevent cross-contamination, keep raw poultry and eggs away from other foods;
• After cutting raw meat, always wash your cutting board, knife, and countertops wash with warm soapy water or a cleaning solution.
You can also sanitize your cutting board using bleach, using these instructions.
Have There Been Any Cases of Bird Flu in the U.S.?
As of this writing, there is an ongoing outbreak of H5 bird flu in U.S. dairy cattle, wild birds, poultry flocks, and mammals. However, the current public health risk is considered low by the CDC. The bird flu does not spread from person to person.
There have been 70 confirmed cases of bird flu in humans since 2024, with one confirmed death. Most of these cases have been among U.S. dairy and poultry workers. Only 23 have been linked to poultry farms and culling operations while 40 occurred in dairy farm workers. One case was linked to a backyard poultry flock.
The only death occurred in a Louisiana man who was over 65 years old and already had underlying medical conditions. The man contracted the virus through exposure to a backyard flock and wild birds.
