The first case of avian flu in a commercial poultry operation has been found, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Georgia has reported cases of bird flu in three flocks. Here's a closer look at the virus, where it is, and how dangerous it is.

ATLANTA — The president of the Georgia Poultry Federation says until the supply of eggs rebounds, the cost may remain high for consumers. “Right now, the impact on egg prices is a classic equation of supply and demand,” said Georgia Poultry Federation President Mike Giles.

Georgia’s Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said his department activated its emergency operations center on Thursday night.

Local restaurants are feeling the sting of soaring egg prices, with some already passing the cost on to customers.

The state Department of Agriculture announced Friday that the agency has detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza at a commercial poultry producer in Elbert County, approximately 100 miles (165 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. The agency ...

Here’s what consumers needs to know about buying eggs and poultry as the bird flu spreads. Plus, see what Georgia’s Department of Agriculture is doing about the outbreak.

Georgia is the nation's largest poultry producing state. Last week, bird flu was found for the first time in a commercial poultry plant in the state.

Scientists have warned the risk of bird flu becoming the next pandemic is rising after concerning reports of severe infections. Researchers have raised the alarm after it emerged the virus that typically affects birds began to infect cows last year. It also jumped to humans in America, infecting 68 people and killing one.

The team found that animals that had the virus inoculated directly into their lungs became severely ill, whereas animals that were infected through the nose or oesophagus did not. All animals infected with the virus still shed infectious virus particles, meaning they could infect other animals.

Georgia businesses are concerned about the rising cost of an essential ingredient for many meals they sell — eggs.

This latest outbreak is part of a broader epizootic that has swept across the United States, affecting not only poultry but also wild birds, mammals and humans.