Customers in Louisiana and nationwide are dealing with egg prices going up and sparsely populated aisles at the grocery store following the spread of the bird flu in the U.S.

Officials at Lincoln Park Zoo confirmed Wednesday that a harbor seal and a Chilean flamingo each died of highly pathogenic avian flu earlier this month. In a statement, zoo officials said the

Avian flu is rampant in poultry farms and in wild birds in the U.S. Every mutation brings the virus one step closer to the brink of human-to-human transmission, but predicting whether a virus will cross that threshold remains an uncertain science.

Staying a step ahead of the avian influenza virus with surveillance, testing and research could mean the difference between a close call and global catastrophe

"Cats (domestic and large felids) in particular can experience severe illness or death from infection with H5N1. Dogs can also contract H5N1, although they usually exhibit mild clinical signs and low mortality compared to cats," the FDA said in a news release.

Egg prices expected to stay high because of limited supplies as the virus continues to infect commercial flocks nationwide.

The American Veterinary Medical Association has issued recommendations for keeping pets and backyard flocks safe from highly pathogenic avian influenza, and the recommendations are also a useful guide for humans.

Some areas of Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Clay Township may close during prime snow geese viewing season this year if large numbers of birds are found sick or

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, also known as H5N1 or the bird flu, was confirmed in a backyard flock of pet birds in New London County on Friday, according to the state departments of Agriculture and Public Health,

The CDC is calling for expanded testing of bird flu after a child in California tested positive for the virus despite no known contact with animals.

No person-to-person spread has been detected, but that doesn’t mean an H5N1 avian influenza pandemic isn’t possible or even probable.

H5N1 avian influenza continues to spread amid commercial and backyard poultry, and additional cases have been reported in domestic cats