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:

The second largest egg producer in the U.S. said its farm in Seymour, Indiana, tested positive for the avian flu. Rose Acre Farms said its Cort Acre Egg Farm started noticing deaths over the weekend.

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 largest egg producers in the United States has confirmed cases of bird flu at one of their Indiana facilities, according to a statement released on Monday. Rose Acre Farms (RAF) has locations in seven states,

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.