A deadly bird flu outbreak has wreaked havoc on U.S. chicken farms, claiming the lives of over 20 million egg-laying chickens last quarter, marking the worst impact on America's egg supply since the outbreak began in 2022.

Eggs are in short supply in California and high priced due to bird flu, laws, high labor and supply costs, and increased consumption

The CDC on Thursday urged labs nationwide to determine within 24 hours of admission whether people hospitalized with the flu have seasonal influenza or are infected with the bird flu that's behind an escalating outbreak in dairy cows and poultry.

CDC officials say medical professionals are seeing more patients whose illness cannot be traced back to an infected animal or bird.

People hospitalized for flu should be tested for bird flu within 24 hours, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday, in an expansion of the agency's efforts to tackle increasing infections in humans.