Answering your bird flu questions: Safety, egg prices, pandemic risk, vaccines and more

Sky-high egg prices have drawn renewed attention to the bird flu outbreak, which has caused more than 166 million wild and domestic birds in the U.S. to die since it began.
Sky-high egg prices have drawn renewed attention to the bird flu outbreak, which has caused more than 166 million wild and domestic birds in the U.S. to die since it began in 2022.
While the health risk to most people remains low, the outbreak has continued to surprise researchers and the federal government has been unable to wrangle it under control.
“It seems like another battle keeps popping up day after day,” said Andrew Bowman, an influenza expert at Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “I really hate saying ‘unprecedented,’ but it sure feels different than anything before.”
NBC News asked its readers on social media what they wanted to know about the outbreak, mitigation measures and eggs. Here are the answers to your (lightly edited) questions.
Yes, it’s safe to buy and eat poultry products, which are tightly regulated and frequently tested. Moreover, the virus is eliminated through cooking.
Rating: 5