Avian flu is hitting California’s San Joaquin Valley hard — nearly 20 million chickens, ducks and turkeys have been killed in the region since 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The news comes as skyrocketing egg prices have become a national political issue, noted by President Donald Trump.

A new study shows the H5N1 virus is likely more widespread in cows than had been reported. Since the outbreak was first reported in dairy cows last March, 70 people have been infected and one person has died.