Avian flu outbreak kills record 50 million birds

More than 50 million birds have died in the United States since February from the Avian flu, marking the worst outbreak on record, according to U.S. Agriculture Department data.

At least 50.54 million chickens, turkeys and other birds have died in 46 states, with the most birds affected in Iowa, the largest chicken producer in the United States, data released Friday shows.

The second largest outbreak occurred in 2015 with 50.5 million avian flu deaths, Reuters reported.

The bird losses contributed to rising prices for eggs and poultry, and even created a turkey shortage over Thanksgiving, per Axios. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people to "avoid unprotected contact with wild or domestic birds and poultry that look sick or have died" as they could become infected after "close, prolonged, and unprotected" contact with infected birds.