March 17, 2025 – The United States reported its first outbreak of the deadly H7N9 bird flu since 2017. The outbreak was detected in a poultry farm of 47,654 commercial broiler breeder chickens in Mississippi. This happens as the nation is already grappling with another bird flu strain, H5N1, which has led to significant losses in poultry population and a substantial increase in egg prices.
The outbreak of bird flu has negatively impacted flocks globally. It has led to higher food prices as well as disruption in the supply chain. Its spread to mammals, such as dairy cows, in the United States has raised concerns among government officials about the risk of a new pandemic.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), H7N9 is a deadly strain of bird flu with a high death rate in humans. Since 2013, it has caused around 616 deaths out of the 1,568 infected people.
To combat the spread of bird flu virus, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it will spend around US$ 1 billion. This is expected to create lucrative growth avenues within the global bird flu industry during the forecast period.
“The new outbreak of H7N9 bird flu in the United States is expected to create demand for advanced tests and treatments. This will play a key role in fostering growth of the bird flu industry in the coming years,” says a senior analyst at CMI.”
The re-emergence of H7N9 bird flu virus in the United States will likely drive demand for rapid diagnostic kits to detect avian flu in humans and poultry. Governments and poultry farms in nations like the United States and China may increase vaccination programs to prevent outbreaks. This can fuel demand for vaccines during the forecast period.
Rising prevalence of H7N9 bird flu strain is set to create lucrative revenue-generation opportunities for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Leading companies in the global bird flu industry are expected to heavily invest in research and development to create new vaccines and antiviral medications with better safety and efficacy.
Sources:
News Outlet: Reuters
