Massachusetts Egg Prices Jump 65% as Bird Flu Forces Parks to Close, Threatens Food Supply
A severe bird flu outbreak has driven egg prices in Massachusetts up by 65% over the last year. Two parks closed after workers found about 30 dead birds likely infected with the virus.
Officials shut down D.W. Field Park in Brockton and a nearby Avon park. Brockton Park Commission Chairman Charles Studenski told NBC Boston, “We are dealing with a lot of dead birds out on the ponds.”
Shoppers now face empty shelves at local stores. “They are bare, today they are very bare,” shopper Doris Reuters said while looking at picked-over egg displays.
This lethal virus kills most birds it infects. It has spread to 67 people in the U.S., killing one person. A concerning development came in March 2024 when the USDA spotted infected cows at a Texas dairy farm.
Local restaurants are dealing with the price hikes. Tim Burke from In A Pickle Restaurant expressed his frustration: “You’re really at the mercy of whoever’s controlling these commodity markets and it’s difficult, because we can’t just reprint our menus every day. We have to kind of absorb the cost.”
In Essex and Barnstable Counties, officials got rid of infected backyard flocks. Wild birds showing symptoms in Essex and Middlesex Counties are being tested.
The state’s Department of Agricultural Resources jumped into action with an emergency plan. Teams are now watching both domestic poultry and wild birds in the area.
While the risk to humans remains low, officials say not to touch sick or dead birds. Direct contact with infected birds raises the chance of catching it, but casual exposure isn’t very risky.