As you shop for your traditional Thanksgiving turkey, you may notice it is costing you more, even without additional family or out of town guests to feed. Instead, the price increase is a reminder of the avian influenza outbreak that began in December 2014, and which affected 48,082,293 birds across the country. There were no cases of the virus spreading to humans, but 15 states experienced outbreaks in domestic poultry or captive birds.
The CDC and USDA are keeping a watchful eye on highly pathogenic avian influenza in the United States, particularly as we head into the colder months and flu season for birds as well as people. For now, the only news is the projected 15-20% increase in turkey prices, predicted by a Purdue University agricultural economist.
See more about local health departments and avian influenza.