The escalating bird flu crisis is ravaging the nation's egg supply, and that shortage has hit Arizona along with the rest of the U.S. Why it matters: An outbreak of avian influenza is growing and has affected nearly 13 million birds in the last 30 days,

A nationwide outbreak of the avian flu is hurting the nation's chicken supply and keeping egg prices high, according to one Arizona egg producer.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to spread in Ohio, with five new commercial poultry flock infections there being reported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). APHIS also reported a new instance of HPAI in Arizona.

Egg farms are still recovering from the 2022 outbreak but now there’s also the cage-free law, mutations and competition as bird flu devastates other states.

The American egg market is facing a serious crisis caused by avian flu, which may persist for several more months, CNN reports. As a result, in some parts of the United States, egg shelves are empty,