Over the past year, the United States has faced its worst-ever outbreak of avian influenza (avian flu), with at least 47 states affected. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as of the end of last year, more than 58 million birds had died or been culled as a result of the outbreak, breaking the previous record of 50.5 million birds in 2015 on an annual basis. 

The outbreak of avian flu has led to a significant reduction in poultry populations across the United States. For example, laying hens accounted for more than 70% of the birds lost to the outbreak last year (about 43 million). In California, for example, the price of a dozen eggs was as high as US$7.37 at the beginning of January this year, 3 times the price of the previous year. Although egg prices in the U.S. have shown a marked decline over the past month, the impact brought about by the avian flu outbreaks may be much more than that.