Is bird flu about to become a global epidemic?

By Rose de la Cruz

Bird flu (or the H5N1 strain) was first detected in China in 2013. But now another strain H7N9 is wreaking havoc in the United States, which first detected it in 2017 and had since been moving heaven and earth to contain it.

According to a Reuters report written by Sybille de La Hamaide, the US continues to grapple with another bird flu strain that has infected humans and caused egg prices to hit record highs. 

“The spread of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has ravaged flocks around the world, disrupting supply and fuelling higher food prices. Its spread to mammals, including dairy cows in the U.S., has raised concerns among governments about a risk of a new pandemic,” she added.

The strain that has caused most damage to poultry in recent years and the death of one person in the U.S. is the H5N1.

The H7N9 bird flu virus has proved to have a high death rate for humans worldwide killing 616 people, or 39%, of the 1,568 people infected worldwide since it was first detected in 2013 in China, the World Health Organisation said.

The latest outbreak of H7N9 was detected on a farm of 47,654 commercial broiler breeder chickens in Noxubee, Mississippi, the Paris-based World Animal Health Organisation said in a report on Monday, citing U.S. Authorities.

“Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N9 of North American wild bird lineage was detected in a commercial broiler breeder chicken flock in Mississippi. Depopulation of the affected flock is in progress,” the report says.

“The USDA (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in conjunction with State Animal Health and Wildlife Officials, are conducting a comprehensive epidemiological investigation and enhanced surveillance in response to the detection,” it added.

On July 22, 2024, the Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) said the impact of chicken shortage was already evident on July 17, 2024, with retail prices in local markets of Metro Manila surging to a record high. 

The Department of Agriculture (DA) reported prices for whole-dressed chickens ranging from P190 per kg to P250 per kg, up from P160/kg to P220/kg in the previous month.

United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA) president Jose Gerardo Feliciano attributed this price spike to reduced broiler stocks, which have led producers to decrease flock sizes in response to recent financial losses. Furthermore, the farmgate price for day-old chicks has nearly doubled, reflecting tight supply conditions. 

The USDA in its 2024 report entitled “Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade” revealed that the national chicken consumption in the Philippines would reach 1.988 million MT in 2024 while local production would be aT 1.54 MMT, indicating a shortfall of 465,000 MT of chicken meat. 

The shortage is expected to push prices up at both farmgate and retail levels, which is did, considering the challenges of the sector in meeting the demand.

Such challenges include rising production costs, including higher prices of imported feed additives and the impact of poultry diseases, which boosted price surge. “Despite assurances of sufficient broiler stocks, meeting market demand remains challenging, concerning chicken sizes,” said DA Undersecretary for Livestock D eogracias Victor Savellano.(He died on January 7, 2025 at the age of 65 and was replaced by Assistant Secretary Constante Palabrica).

On July 18, 2024, DA Undersecretary Deogracias Victor Savellano noted that rising production costs, including higher prices for imported feed additives and the impact of poultry diseases, boosted the price surge. Despite assurances of sufficient broiler stocks, meeting market demand remains challenging, particularly concerning chicken sizes. 

The rising chicken meat prices in local markets have heightened the appeal of imports. On July 18, 2024, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) reported a 4.98% increase in chicken meat imports from 172.64 million kg in the first five months of 2023 to 181.23 million kg for the comparative period in 2024. 

Chicken meat imports now account for 34.5% of the country’s total meat imports, with Brazil, the US, and Australia being the leading suppliers.