STAT The virus is expected to kill millions of animals this winter. Cheaper egg prices have muted public discussion on one of the most serious threats to American agriculture this century: bird flu. But the problem has not disappeared. In fact, the data suggest that the virus will bring devastating animal and economic losses this winter.
Since 2022, an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza has resulted in the loss of nearly 185 million birds raised for food. If these animals were people, it would be half the U.S. population. Most of the animals have not died from the flu; rather, they are housed near infected flocks and have been killed preemptively, in accordance with federal policy. Predictably, after a summer lull, 25 states have had cases in the last month. Our analysis of data from the Department of Agriculture reveals that we’ve gained almost no ground since the beginning of the outbreak in 2022. January 2025 was the worst month on record. In fact, 2025 was a worse year overall than 2024, which was worse than 2023. The egg industry has taken the brunt, representing 75% of lost animals. Turkeys account for about 11%, meat chickens, 8%.