美国国家公共电台 NPR--Eggs prices drop, but the threat from avian flu isn't over yet

Eggs prices drop, but the threat from avian flu isn't over yet

Transcript¹

Maybe you've seen the funny internet memes about high egg prices? Like the one where a guy gets on his knees to propose, but instead of a ring, he brings out a dozen precious eggs!

Well, egg prices have finally begun to decline. "We're seeing wholesale² prices start to come down," says David Ortega, a food economist³ at Michigan State University. The wholesale price of a dozen eggs in the Midwest market dropped by 58 cents to $3.29 a dozen at the end of January, according to USDA data.

There is a lag between a drop in wholesale prices and what we pay at the grocery store, Ortega says, but we can expect some relief soon. I've already seen prices fall at my local supermarket.

However, the days of $1.50 a dozen may not return anytime soon. That's partly because inflation has driven up the cost of feed, transportation and labor⁴. But the biggest factor impacting egg prices is the outbreak of bird flu – highly pathogenic avian influenza⁵ (HPAI) – which can spread quickly from flock to flock and is lethal⁶ in chickens. The CDC estimates more than 58 million birds have died or been culled⁷ because of the current outbreak.

The virus has caused an acute "shock" to the egg supply, Ortega says. And "there's a lot of uncertainty⁸ about how much longer this outbreak will continue." Amid such unpredictability, Ortega says prices are sticky. "They tend to rise quickly, but take much longer to come down."

Avian flu isn't new, but scientists say this current outbreak is more widespread and more lethal than the last outbreak in 2015. It's been detected in wild birds in all 50 states. Typically, wild birds don't get sick from the virus, but the strain circulating now appears more virulent⁹. "We're seeing symptoms and we're seeing mortality in some of the wild birds," says poultry¹⁰ scientist Phillip Clauer of Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. "This time around, it's more deadly."

The latest CDC data shows the avian flu has been detected in a range of species, including black vultures and geese. There's also a few recent reports of infection in great-horned owls¹¹, red-tailed hawks¹² and bald eagles.

Since the avian flu began circulating last year, there have been outbreaks at poultry operations in 47 states. Outbreaks typically begin when wild birds, such as geese, infect chickens, turkeys or other waterfowl in commercial flocks or backyard flocks. Once an infection is found in any flock, the USDA euthanizes the whole flock. "This highly pathogenic disease is very deadly," says Clauer. "So the whole idea is to get on top of it and help the birds die in a humane¹³ manner and not allow the disease to continue to spread," he explains.

In recent years farmers have stepped up biosecurity measures to protect their flocks. "You're trying to build barriers," explains Clauer. For example, since the virus can spread through bird poop or feathers, workers take precautions to keep their hands, clothes and shoes clean. Tools and equipment should be disinfected, too.

Farmers try to discourage waterfowl from landing in fields near their poultry houses. "You're setting a parameter¹⁴ around your poultry to protect them," Clauer says.

The virus poses a "low risk" to people, according to the CDC. The agency says avian flu viruses "usually do not infect people," though last spring, the CDC reported the infection of one person in Colorado who had been in contact with infected poultry. The person reported fatigue¹⁵ and was treated with an antiviral medication.

So, when will the outbreak end?

"We don't know," says Dr. Yuko Sato, a veterinarian at Iowa State University. "We hope we're somewhere in the middle or hoping towards the end," she says. Sato says killing¹⁶ off infected flocks takes an emotional toll¹⁷ on farmers. "Nobody likes to be, you know, depopulating, euthanizing birds," she says. Then, egg producers must invest in rebuilding their flocks beginning with chicks. "It takes about somewhere between 16 to 18 weeks for birds to mature to that point to start laying eggs," Sato explains. So, there's a lag time to rebuild supplies of eggs.

"Our stock is still down about 5%, right now," explains Emily Metz, president of the American Egg Board. But she says farmers are focused on a quick recovery and they continue to invest in prevention strategies to fend¹⁸ off avian flu. "I have farmers that have put in laser light systems to prevent migratory¹⁹ birds from landing on their barns," she explains. "I have farms that are bussing in their workers to minimize truck traffic," and lower the risk of contamination. The hope is that these efforts make the operations more resilient.

"Egg prices are trending downward for sure," Metz says. "I think there's relief in sight."

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

6 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

7 culled   

v.挑选，剔除( cull的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The herd must be culled. 必须有选择地杀掉部分牧畜。 来自辞典例句
• The facts were culled from various sources. 这些事实是从各方收集到的。 来自辞典例句

8 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

9 virulent   

adj.有毒的，有恶意的，充满敌意的

参考例句：

• She is very virulent about her former employer.她对她过去的老板恨之入骨。
• I stood up for her despite the virulent criticism.尽管她遭到恶毒的批评，我还是维护她。

10 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

11 owls   

n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句

12 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

13 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

14 parameter   

n.参数，参量

参考例句：

• It is the parameter of distribution.这就是分布参数。
• One parameter which always comes into play is the national economy.国民经济是一个经常起作用的参量。

15 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

16 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

17 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

18 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

19 migratory   

n.候鸟，迁移

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• This does not negate the idea of migratory aptitude.这并没有否定迁移能力这一概念。