With the first human death from bird flu now logged in the US, health officials have their fingers crossed that it doesn't become a major public-health issue. But H5N1 is already wreaking havoc on poultry flocks and causing an egg shortage that's driving up the cost at the grocery store.

The average price of a dozen large eggs starkly increased in California in December to $8.97, up from $5.68 in late November, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report.

The cost of eggs in California has jumped nearly 70% in the past month, reaching $8.97 for a dozen. The price hike, highlighted in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s December egg markets report, owes largely to a series of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks that have decimated the state’s poultry flocks.

Some establishments search for better wholesale prices to shield customers from increases, while others have started raising menu prices on egg dishes to cope with the surge. The USDA's latest data paints a sobering picture: nine confirmed avian flu cases across Merced,