The Trump administration has laid off a quarter of the staff in federal laboratories monitoring the avian flu outbreak spread by H5N1 and H7N9, which are currently the main strains. The decision will slow down health checks on farms just as the contagion has spread to dairy farms, with cases even among domestic foxes and cats, which by drinking infected milk can contract the virus. H7N9 usually affects birds, but the recent switch to mammals worries experts because it could mutate more easily and facilitate the final jump to people.
The layoffs are part of President Donald Trump’s plan to “end inflation” and reduce food prices. The cuts specifically affect the USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network, the U.S. Department of Agriculture that manages and secures the data produced by laboratories that test and monitor the development of outbreaks spread by mammals and animals, making sure they execute protocols.
According to the USDA’s latest data, the current avian flu outbreak is reportedly responsible for the deaths of at least 100 million birds of various species and breeds since the last outbreak began in 2022, soaring to 22 million in the past month. Over the past year, H5N1 has spread to dairy cattle, infecting most herds in more than a dozen U.S. states. Officials had recently reported that the virus’ development should be monitored and that there were new outbreaks in Arizona as well.
Meanwhile, egg prices in the U.S. continue to rise by an average of $4.95 per dozen nationwide, and if the outbreak is not stopped they will most likely continue to rise exponentially. President Trump’s newly appointed Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins held a briefing with officials to address the avian flu problem. Currently, Rollins leads a department of about 100,000 employees and is in charge of various programs, including agricultural subsidies, food security and rural development.
