As egg prices surge amid the ongoing bird flu outbreak affecting poultry farms, authorities report a rising trend of smuggling attempts at the U.S. and Mexico border.

The average cost of a dozen large Grade A eggs was $4.95 for customers last month, beating the last record set in 2023 by 13 cents. For retailers, wholesale egg prices also reached an all-time high in February at $7.86, according to economic data platform Trading Economics.

The U.S.'s biggest egg marketplace doesn’t own hens, farms or processing plants. Instead, the Egg Clearinghouse connects large-volume buyers with sellers, providing a crucial service as the deadliest-ever avian-flu outbreak limits supplies.

With the confirmation of the outbreak of A (H5N1), also known as the bird flu virus, in local fowls in ward 6 of Koshi Rural Municipality in Sunsari district, veterinary authorities have stepped up surveillance measures.

The price of eggs at U.S. grocery stores has climbed to a record high, nearly doubling from a year ago, as outbreaks of bird flu have led to shortages by wiping out millions of hens.

For Brian Kreher, a fourth-generation farmer in the small town of Clarence, New York, the latest outbreak of bird flu has meant many sleepless nights. He considers his 18-acre farm one of the lucky ones.

As egg prices soar to new highs, the two industries are on opposite sides of the debate over whether to give shots to birds.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is expected “in the coming days” to announce a new strategy for fighting the bird flu outbreak.

The average price for a dozen eggs skyrocketed in January, and it doesn't look like the rise in egg prices will slow any time soon.