Over the weekend, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mistakenly fired several employees who were actively working on the federal government's H5N1 avian flu response. The agency is now scrambling to reverse the terminations and reinstate affected workers.
“Although several positions supporting [bird flu efforts] were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters,” a USDA spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson emphasized that frontline positions within USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service are considered public safety roles and will continue to be staffed to ensure food safety and supply stability.
The firings come as part of the Trump administration's broader efforts to downsize the federal government, an initiative spearheaded by Elon Musk and the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Many of those overseeing the cuts lack government experience, raising concerns about the execution and impact of the layoffs.
While some agency positions have been exempted from the sweeping cuts, the USDA says it remains committed to prioritizing the response to the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak.
This incident follows another mishap last week, when the administration attempted to reinstate recently fired nuclear safety employees—only to struggle to reach them due to missing contact information.
The H5N1 outbreak has devastated poultry flocks, driving up egg prices and increasing concerns over human transmission. So far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 68 human cases in the U.S.
Newly appointed Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins convened a panel on her first day in office to evaluate options for a comprehensive bird flu strategy, according to a department release.
The USDA plays a critical role in managing the outbreak, with agencies like the Agricultural Research Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service leading response efforts.
However, Politico reported that some layoffs have affected the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, which is directly involved in avian flu research.
The cuts have alarmed Republican lawmakers, with some privately urging the administration to reconsider the layoffs due to the risk they pose to bird flu containment efforts, according to two Republican sources familiar with the discussions.
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