USDA accidentally fired bird flu employees and is now trying to rehire them

The Trump administration is working to "rectify" the termination of several employees over the weekend that were working to combat bird flu, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Here’s what’s known about the bird flu and the USDA employees: 

USDA accidentally fired bird flu employees

The backstory:

Layoffs and firings have affected many federal departments in recent weeks. 

Since Donald Trump took office in January, one of his top priorities is cutting and reorganizing spending within the federal government.

The president has tapped billionaire businessman Elon Musk to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been tasked with finding and prioritizing what to cut. Thousands of federal government employees have been laid off or fired in the process.

RELATED: DOGE latest: What is a probationary worker?

What they're saying:

A USDA spokesperson told FOX Television Stations that several positions supporting the response to bird flu were told they were fired over the weekend, but that the agency was working to take back the notifications. 

The spokesperson said several USDA positions are exempt from the recent Trump cuts to help continue fighting bird flu. Those positions include veterinarians, animal health technicians and other emergency response personnel.

It’s not known which USDA personnel received termination letters or how many were affected. 

Full Statement:

"USDA continues to prioritize the response to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Several job categories, including veterinarians, animal health technicians, and other emergency response personnel have been exempted from the recent personnel actions to continue to support the HPAI response and other animal health priorities. Although several positions supporting HPAI were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service frontline positions are considered public safety positions, and we are continuing to hire the workforce necessary to ensure the safety and adequate supply of food to fulfill our statutory mission."

What is bird flu?

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses have been detected in U.S. wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry and backyard or hobbyist flocks beginning in January 2022, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Standard prevention strategy calls for destroying all birds on a farm when an infection is detected to keep it from spreading.

Why you should care:

The killing of millions of chickens per month has caused egg prices to skyrocket, with shortages that have led some retailers to ration sales. Additionally, humans and other animals are susceptible to contracting variations of bird flu. 

By the numbers:

The average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities hit $4.95 in January, and the USDA predicts it will soar another 20% this year.

At least 68 people in the U.S. have been reported infected with bird flu in the last year, according to CDC data. All but a small handful worked closely with cows or poultry.

What's next:

The Trump administration is planning a new strategy for fighting bird flu that stresses vaccinations and tighter biosecurity instead of killing off millions of chickens when the disease strikes a flock.

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