NEW YORK (AP)— All live poultry markets in New York City and several of its suburbs were ordered to close for a week Friday following the discovery of seven instances of avian flu, which has also affected farms across the country, resulted in the slaughter of millions of birds, and pushed up egg prices.

Gov. Kathy Hochul stated that there is no immediate concern to public health and that the temporary suspension of bird markets in the city, Westchester County, and Long Island suburbs is due to an abundance of caution. Officials in New York said that no instances of avian flu had been discovered among people. The injunction was issued after birds infected with the virus were discovered during routine inspections of live bird markets in New York City’s Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus offers a low danger to the general public. According to the FDA, there have been 67 confirmed instances of bird flu in humans in the United States, with most cases being mild and detected among farmworkers who were exposed to sick poultry or daily cows.

The first bird flu death in the United States was recorded last month in Louisiana, with health officials stating that the individual was over the age of 65, had underlying medical issues, and had come into touch with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. According to the state’s mandate, live bird markets in New York that have discovered the virus must dispose of all chickens in a sanitary way. Other bird markets without cases must sell their remaining birds, clean and disinfect, and then close for at least five days before being inspected by state inspectors. The H5N1 form of avian flu has spread to wild birds, poultry, cattle, and other animals. Officials have encouraged those who come into contact with sick or dead birds to wear respiratory and eye protection and gloves when handling poultry.

The outbreak has harmed over 156 million birds countrywide, with several large farming companies forced to destroy their entire flocks. According to CoBank, a Denver-based provider of loans and other financial services to the agriculture industry, egg prices in the United States are projected to stay high after Easter and long into 2025, owing primarily to avian flu. Since 2022, the highly contagious virus has infected almost 100 million egg-laying chickens in the United States. However, CoBank stated that other reasons, such as rising consumer demand for eggs in recent years, are also contributing to supply shortages and price increases. Fast-growing breakfast and brunch franchises, including First Watch, are also consuming supplies.

OSAGE, IA – AUGUST 09: Chickens gather around a feeder at a farm on August 9, 2014 in Osage, Iowa. In retaliation for sanctions imposed on them, Russia announced a ban on food imports from the United States and other nations.Those sanctions had been imposed due to Russia’s support of separatists in Eastern Ukraine. The ban will last for a year and targets meat, fish, fruit, vegetable and milk products. The poultry industry in the United States, which exported over $300 million worth of food to Russia in 2013, is expected to be hit the hardest. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)