Bird flu costs pile up

The ongoing bird flu outbreak has cost the government roughly $661 million and added to consumers’ pain at the grocery store as officials slaughtered more than 58 million birds to help limit the spread of the virus. The bad news is that with the outbreak entering its second year and the spring migratory season looming, there is no end in sight.

This bills continue to pile up this year as cases spread, and that includes the cost to consumers.

Egg prices shot up to $4.82 a dozen in January from $1.93 a year earlier.

The price for a pound of chicken breast was $4.32 in January. That’s down slightly from last fall when the price peaked at $4.75, but it is up significantly from the year before when chicken breasts were selling for $3.73 per pound.

AP