The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working to reverse the termination of employees involved in the bird flu outbreak response, following mass firings initiated by President Trump and Elon Musk, who aimed to downsize the government. Although the exact number of rehired employees is unclear, some terminations, particularly those affecting the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, have been rescinded. The H5N1 virus has rapidly spread across 16 states, impacting 1,000 dairy herds and leading to over 160 million bird deaths, spiking egg prices. While human infections are currently mild, the potential for mutation remains a public health concern.
Officials announced this week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is attempting to reinstate employees who were dismissed while addressing the escalating bird flu crisis in the country.
It remains uncertain how many employees will be reinstated and the specific details of their roles. However, over the weekend, the department reported that “several positions” related to the outbreak management received termination notices, part of extensive layoffs initiated by President Trump and Elon Musk, who has been assigned to significantly reduce government personnel.
“We are actively working to resolve the issue and withdraw those termination letters,” stated a U.S.D.A. representative earlier this week. On Thursday, it was confirmed by the representative that some employees have been informed that their termination notices were revoked.
The department did not provide answers to subsequent inquiries. It has reportedly eliminated at least 4,200 jobs agency-wide but has refrained from disclosing how many of those were related to the bird flu response.
This marks yet another instance of the Trump administration reversing decisions after implementing extensive job cuts. Recently, some staff at the National Nuclear Security Administration were terminated and subsequently reinstated.
The announcement comes amidst increasing concern from scientists and health officials regarding the H5N1 virus. In the U.S., the virus has been detected in approximately 1,000 dairy herds across 16 states and has affected at least 69 individuals. Furthermore, it has resulted in the death of over 160 million farmed birds, creating egg shortages and causing prices to skyrocket.
Dr. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, noted that some of the reinstated employees were working at the National Animal Health Laboratory Network’s program office, which oversees numerous labs nationwide authorized to test for the virus.
These terminations “immediately affected our capacity to manage the disease response,” stated Dr. Poulsen. “Their reinstatement is a significant relief for the entire lab network.”
While the virus primarily affects birds, it has increasingly infected dairy cows and a growing number of cats. Most human cases have occurred among farm workers who have direct contact with infected poultry or cattle. Although most individuals experienced mild symptoms, some required hospitalization, and there has been one reported death.
Currently, the virus does not transmit easily between humans and would require significant changes to pose a pandemic risk. Nevertheless, every new case gives the virus fresh chances to mutate.