Local businesses are getting hit hard by climbing egg prices, and a recent bird flu outbreak at a Southern Indiana farm could drive up the cost of the essential ingredient even more.

Avian influenza, also known as the bird flu, is caused by influenza viruses that spread between birds. According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, bird flu is common in wild birds, especially waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors.

Over 2.8 million egg laying hens have been killed after a bird flu outbreak in Jackson County. It’s the largest appearance in Indiana of the infectious agent avian influenza since the strain was first spotted in 2022. Seymour based Rose Acre Farms confirmed the outbreak to Hoosier Ag Today in a statement:

Rose Acre Farms, the nation's second largest egg producer, said yesterday that tests have confirmed avian flu at its facility in Seymour, Indiana, which could further stretch the supply of eggs as commercial farms in several states continue to battle the spread of the H5N1 virus.

One of the top egg producers in the U.S. confirmed that a farm tested positive for cases of bird flu over the weekend, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

This latest outbreak is part of a broader epizootic that has swept across the United States, affecting not only poultry but also wild birds, mammals and humans.

New York Attorney General Letitia James warned businesses Wednesday against price gouging on eggs and poultry amid a national bird flu outbreak.