Within 24 to 48 hours of the first detection of the virus, state and federal animal health officials work with farms to cull infected flocks to reduce the risk of transmission. That’s followed by extensive disinfection and months of surveillance and testing to make sure the virus isn’t still lurking somewhere on-site.

The egg industry has spent millions of dollars on measures to prevent avian influenza from devastating their flocks.

Egg farmers are starting to worry that the fight against the avian flu is unwinnable. Producers across the country are bleeding millions of dollars to invest in biosecurity efforts to rebuild their rapidly dying flocks — all while protecting humans from catching the deadly disease,