By Ceyda Caglayan

ISTANBUL, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Turkey has begun exporting around 15,000 tonnes of eggs to the United States, where an ongoing outbreak of bird flu disrupted supply, sent prices soaring and led to talks with other producers, a leading sector official said on Wednesday.

Ibrahim Afyon, chairman of the Egg Producers Central Union (YUM-BIR) in Turkey, told Reuters that shipments began this month and will continue until July.

"The export will take place through our member companies with the required authorizations, while two firms will coordinate the process," Afyon said.

"A total of 15,000 tonnes of eggs — equivalent to 700 containers — will be shipped."

The U.S. has been working to contain the spread of bird flu, which was first detected in dairy cattle in Texas last March and has since spread to multiple states. The virus has infected nearly 70 people since April, including one fatal case, primarily among farm workers exposed to infected poultry or cattle.

An outbreak in poultry that began in 2022 has wiped out about 160 million chickens, turkeys and other birds, contributing to egg shortages.

In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted conditional approval to animal health company Zoetis ZTS.N for the use of a bird flu vaccine in poultry.

The agency is also rebuilding a stockpile of vaccines tailored to the current strain affecting commercial flocks and wild birds. nL4N3P51F4

Faced with supply constraints, U.S. firms have sought alternative import markets, leading to negotiations with Turkish producers, Afyon said.

He said the deal is expected to generate around $26 million in export revenue.

Turkey ranks among the world's top 10 egg exporters, Afyon added.

(Reporting by Ceyda Caglayan, Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Jonathan Spicer, Alexandra Hudson)

((ece.toksabay@tr.com; +90 312 2927022; Reuters Messaging: ece.toksabay.reuters.com@reuters.net))