Neogen : How Neogen® is Keeping Eggs Safe

You may have noticed that the price of eggs is on the rise and may be wondering, why is this happening? This is because there has been a recent outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) - aka "bird flu" - affecting chickens all across the country.

What is Avian Influenza?

HPAI is a highly contagious flu virus that affects both wild birds and domestic poultry. Although rare, the virus has the potential to be passed to people if the necessary precautions are not taken when encountering infected birds. These birds may suddenly die, or show signs of a lack of energy, difficulty breathing, swelling of the head, neck, or eyes, or decreased egg production. There is no effective treatment for this disease.

When a chicken gets infected with HPAI, it's the result of breathing in or consuming viral contamination from its environment. Once one chicken gets infected, the HPAI spreads rapidly throughout the flock, and all birds in that barn must be euthanized. So, when an outbreak does occur, there are less birds and fewer eggs being laid, making the prices of eggs skyrocket.

What Can You Do?

Often times, layer houses are not cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. Therefore, it is important to create a barrier to prevent virus introduction through measures like the use of foot baths, putting on disposable boot covers, wearing clean coveralls, and sanitizing your hands, egg trays, and vehicles or any other equipment prior to entering the production space.

Farm personnel should avoid contact with wild birds, poultry, and other wildlife to reduce risk of introducing viral contamination into your flock. The supply of eggs and poultry remains safe as products contaminated with HPAI do not enter the food chain. USDA graded eggs are washed in a sanitizing solution prior to packaging at processing facilities. However, it is always important to properly cook eggs and poultry for safe consumption.

How Can Neogen Help?

We offer a very comprehensive catalog of biosecurity products that can fit your every need. Our industry standard Synergize® is a Quaternary Ammonium/Glutaraldehyde disinfectant that can be used in a mechanical sprayer, foot bath, or used for fogging or soaking equipment. Or try our powdered, peroxide-based, broad-spectrum disinfectant, Neogen Viroxide Super™. We also have an entire family of COMPANION® products, including hand sanitizer, hand soap, and wipes that effectively clean and disinfect. In addition to sanitation solutions, we offer disposable boot covers and gloves to be used as an extra layer of protection for you and your flock.