McDonald’s cut breakfast services amid bird flu outbreak in Australia

Australian fans of a late morning McDonald’s breakfast will now have to wake up earlier.

The fast-food giant has temporarily shortened its breakfast service hours by 90 minutes due to an egg shortage caused by a bird flu outbreak.

Currently, McDonald’s is serving its full breakfast menu only until 10:30 am, instead of the usual midday.

“Like many retailers, we are carefully managing supply of eggs due to the current industry challenges,” McDonald’s Australia said in a statement sent to the BBC.

“We’re continuing to work closely with our network of Aussie farmers, producers, and suppliers, as the industry comes together to manage this challenge.”

Several strains of bird flu have been detected in 11 poultry facilities across southeast Australia in the past two months.

Authorities have said they have the situation under control.

“Consumers can expect to see some empty shelves in the short-term, however, supplies are being re-directed to areas with short supply,” the Australian government said.

“Consumers should refrain from purchasing more eggs than required.”

Bird flu has affected fewer than 10% of Australia’s egg-laying hens, but some businesses have imposed limits on egg purchases.

The outbreaks have led to the culling of about 1.5 million chickens in Australia.

So far, none of the strains detected have been the H5N1 variant of bird flu.

H5N1 has spread through bird and mammal populations globally, infecting billions of animals and a small number of humans.