Trump Administration Layoffs Disrupt FDA Bird Flu Response Efforts

The Trump administration has dismissed key staff from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) involved in bird flu response efforts, as part of mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services. The move aligns with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to cut 10,000 federal health workers. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association and sources familiar with the situation, the layoffs impacted leadership, policy, legal, and communications staff at the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM).

Many employees were informed of their termination after being denied access to office buildings. The CVM, which oversees the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network, plays a critical role in testing pet food for bird flu contamination. The network recently issued recalls of raw pet food linked to house cat deaths. Although the lab staff remain, the loss of administrative and leadership personnel is expected to cause major operational delays.

Veterinary experts have raised concerns. Kristy Pabilonia of Colorado State University said losing a reporting channel for cat infections is alarming. Keith Poulsen of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory warned that the cuts could derail efforts to build bird flu testing infrastructure for raw milk cheese—an area of heightened risk amid a growing outbreak. Raw milk, which Kennedy supports, has been flagged by federal health officials for its pathogen risks.

The ongoing bird flu outbreak has already led to the death of nearly 170 million birds since 2022, severely impacting poultry and egg markets. With nearly 1,000 U.S. dairy cattle herds infected, experts stress that dismantling federal testing and reporting capabilities could hinder containment and risk public health.

The FDA has not commented on the layoffs, while the AVMA is urging Congress to help restore critical positions.