The numbers you see when you look at your grocery bill can be tough to swallow.

Egg prices are at an all-time average high in the U.S. at $5.90 a dozen — up nearly $3 from last year. The main reason is the bird flu that's been raging since 2022.

"Influenza is a really big deal in this state because we are number one in turkeys, so agriculture is a really important part of your economy," Dr. Laura Molgaard, the dean of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, said.

A lifelong animal lover, Molgaard oversees the vet school that's overseeing millions of dollars worth of grants to protect farms with chicken, turkeys and even dairy cows. 

"Bird flu can go beyond birds. The virus that we call bird flu can also impact other species like dairy cows, cats, people," Molgaard said.

So they are tracking the virus with the help of local farms, collecting infected poultry specimens and milk from infected cows. 

"This research is really important to prevent the spread, to be able to inform producers about the spread," Molgaard said.

The more than $2 million in grants help her employ students like Dr. Michelle Schultze, who grew up in a farm town. 

"Right on the Iowa border, so you drive, you see pigs and corn," she said.

Schultze is interviewing dairy farmers.

"We will be testing milk on these infected herds weekly," she said.

The hope is that the millions of dollars in research could save shoppers some cash and make sure all species are happier and healthier.

"It boils down to what can I do to help," Schultze said.

Molgaard says the bird flu is just like the human flu — it keeps morphing into new strains, so it's a moving target, but the team at the U is gaining ground.