Just as quickly as the bird flu is spreading, the virus is changing.
Nearly three years ago, a flock of pheasants in Erath County became the first case of the bird flu in Texas. Since then, the bird flu has mutated across species — including humans — and plagued chickens and dairy cows in the state.
Across the country, dairy producers have had to dump milk to avoid contamination. Infected chickens have been killed, including millions of egg-laying hens, causing egg prices to skyrocket.
“It’s a supply and demand issue,” said JC Essler, executive vice president of the Texas Poultry Federation. “When we’re putting multiple flocks down, and our layer operations can be up to a million