(NewsNation) — Egg prices have nearly doubled in the last six weeks, with the average cost of a dozen cracking $8 on Thursday, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture.

The average egg price is now at $8.03 per dozen, up from a previous price of $7.74 per dozen reported in the USDA’s Egg Markets Overview on February 14.

The average price has jumped by $3.42 since Jan. 10, when a dozen eggs cost about $4.61.

As the nation’s egg shortage continues, egg prices are expected to continue rising. The USDA credits the shortage to the rise of bird flu cases impacting farms.

“Supply remains unbalanced and dependent upon the impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on source farms as marketers work to find new short-term supply sources,” the USDA said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 69 confirmed cases of bird flu in the U.S., and one person in Louisiana died from it.

The CDC said the current risk to the general public is low, and there is no evidence of person-to-person spread.

NewsNation’s Steven Joachim contributed to this report.