In recent weeks, some consumers in the United States have been paying more than $10 (€9.22) for a dozen eggs after an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) caused an egg shortage and a massive spike in prices.

More than 166 million wild and domestic birds have been culled since the H5N1 strain of bird flu was first detected by US authorities in early 2022.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported this week that more than 30 million hens have been culled since the beginning of the year.

The latest losses account for 12.3% of the national stock of caged birds and nearly 8% of the cage-free flock. The organic flock has been largely untouched by the outbreak, according to USDA data.

USDA reported outbreaks at poultry and dairy farms in nine US states, in its latest Egg Markets Overview published on March 14.

Faced with a huge egg shortage, and prices rising 159% in a year, some grocery stores have begun rationing the number of eggs each shopper can buy.

Over the past few weeks, US officials have contacted several European countries for help to alleviate the shortage, despite growing trade tensions between US President Donald Trump's........

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