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In 2015, an outbreak of avian influenza subtype H5N2 was identified in a series of chicken and turkey farming operations in the Midwestern United States. By May 30, more than 43 million birds in 15 states had been destroyed as a result of the outbreak, including nearly 30 million in Iowa alone, the nation's largest egg producer. In the Midwestern U.S., the average price of eggs had increased 120% between April 22 and May 30. The effects however were seen nationwide, with prices in California up 71% in the same timeframe.[1]
The virus was first identified in Minnesota in early March. Prior to April 20, it affected commercial turkey farms almost exclusively, in the states of Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and at 28 farms in Minnesota, where the virus was initially identified.[2] Migratory waterfowl are assumed to have brought the disease to the Midwest, but how it made its way into poultry barns is undetermined.[3]
- ^ Samantha Masunaga (30 May 2015). "Avian influenza epidemic spurs nationwide rise in egg prices". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ "Final Report for the 2014–2015 Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the United States". aphis.usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture. August 11, 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ Robert Roos (12 May 2015). "Egg farm hit in Nebraska's first H5N2 event". Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (University of Minnesota). Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.