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Egg prices in the U.S. have reached a record high as an outbreak of bird flu in the country spreads and begins to infect humans.

Wholesale prices for large %Eggs have reached $5.57 U.S. per dozen, up 150% from a year ago and topping the previous record price of $5.46 U.S. reached in December 2022, according to data from commodities firm Expana.

The average retail price of eggs in the U.S. has risen nearly 10% in the last month alone.

The rise in egg prices comes ahead of Christmas and as demand spikes with many people baking for the holidays.

The all-time high for egg prices also comes as bird flu continues to spread across American farms and as the first severe infection in a human is reported.

Bird flu is a highly contagious and lethal disease among birds, notably chickens, and it has killed millions of egg laying hens in the U.S., reducing the available supply.

Bird flu only entered the U.S. in late 2021, but it has spread rapidly across the country.

About 33 million commercial egg laying birds have been killed by the disease in 2024, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And the disease appears to be spreading rapidly across U.S. farms, with roughly half of the commercial egg layer deaths this year, about 15 million birds, occurring since Oct. 15.

There are also signs that bird flu has spread to dairy cows and is now infecting humans with more severe outcomes.

On Dec. 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first severe case of bird flu in a human within the U.S.

The U.S. federal health agency said that a person has been hospitalized in Louisiana with severe respiratory illness related to bird flu infection and is in critical condition.

The infected person is reported to be over age 65 with underlying medical conditions.