69 Economic Impact

In addition to the significant impacts that they can have on human health, zoonotic diseases can also have significant impacts on the economy. Risk of disease transmission can halt global trade, manufacturing, and prevent people from going to work. During the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic in China, it is estimated that $40 billion of global economic loss occurred (Naseer et. al., 2023). (NC)

The COVID-19 pandemic also had devastating effects on the economy. Following a reduction in manufacturing and trade, unemployment rates in the U.S. began to skyrocket. Almost 26 million Americans lost their jobs in the first five weeks of the pandemic, reflecting the economy’s inability to quickly adapt to the new lockdowns and travel restrictions enacted to slow disease spread (Naseer et. al., 2023). Some sectors of the economy, like the tourism industry, were especially affected by the pandemic. It is estimated that a contraction of $200 billion dollars directly resulted from travel restrictions (Priya et. al., 2021). (NC)

Currently, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks are plaguing wild, commercial, and backyard bird populations in the United States. This disease is spread between bird populations through contact with infected saliva, mucous, and feces (CDC, 2024). Because birds can fly, it is incredibly difficult to control the spread of infected carrier individuals, especially in wild bird populations. Many commercial poultry farms have implemented stringent biosecurity measures to prevent wild birds from spreading HPAI to their farms. These include covering animal food and water sources, wearing PPE when entering animal barns, and performing regular flock tests for avian influenza (USDA Press, 2025). (NC)

However, these biosecurity protections are not always widespread or strict enough to completely prevent commercial flocks from becoming infected with bird flu. When a HPAI is discovered in a population, farm owners are required to euthanize the flock to prevent further spread of the disease, burying or incinerating the resultant biohazard material. Since 2022, more than 166 million chickens have been culled to prevent the spread of HPAI (Rascoe, 2025). Obviously, the loss of this many birds significantly impacts national supply of eggs and chicken meat. As HPAI spreads and poultry stocks are depleted, the price of poultry products in grocery stores and restaurants rises. In the past year, egg prices have risen nearly 350% per dozen. Following a loss of nearly 12 million laying chickens in February, the daily national average price for a dozen reached $8.15 (Nelson, 2025). (NC)

I have also personally felt the economic effects of HPAI spread. For a few weeks in early March, every trip to the grocery store had me standing in an empty egg aisle, looking for cartons that hadn’t been purchased yet. Even though prices were significantly higher than what I was used to, I saw numerous signs limiting the amount of eggs that individuals could buy. I even saw increased egg prices in restaurants. On a vacation to Southern Virginia, my family made a stop at a Waffle House. The breakfast chain was adding a $0.50 surcharge to every egg sold, passing the increased cost of eggs on to me. While these instances only provide small inconveniences to me, they can have serious effects on individuals and small businesses who rely on reasonably-priced poultry products. Businesses faced with increased costs have to decide whether or not to raise their prices, risking losing some of their customers. Families that depend on these items to be an affordable, stable part of their diet have to seek alternatives, potentially putting the health of their families at risk. (NC)

On February 26, 2025, the USDA announced initiatives designed to provide better protection to poultry populations and bring down the price of eggs across the country. This billion-dollar strategy allocates $500 million for biosecurity measures (keeping wild birds off of farms and preventing workers from bringing viruses onto farms), $400 million in relief for affected farmers, and $100 million for vaccine research, regulatory reduction, and temporary egg import options (Rascoe, 2025). It appears that these import policies have begun to restore supply to grocery stores, allowing shelves to remain stocked (Phaneuf, 2025). Infection rates and egg prices remain high, so more time or effort may be required to ensure that these policies are successful. (NC)