FDA Layoffs: Bird Flu Response in Jeopardy

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), as reported by Reuters, the FDA layoffs initiated last week included personnel directly involved in avian influenza monitoring and response efforts.

Many employees found out about the layoffs after trying to enter office buildings on Tuesday, April 1, and being denied access.

A Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) employee said the FDA let go almost all of the administrative staff. The employee is participating in a deferred resignation program to reduce government staff.

Staff on the policy, legal and external communications teams were also terminated, along with managers in the office of the center’s director.

AVMA president Sandra Faeh said the organization hopes to collaborate with Congress and the administration to reinstate critical roles eliminated within the health department.

The recent cutbacks, she noted, have impacted offices responsible for bird flu monitoring, food safety for both animals and humans and other essential functions.

Among the affected programs is the FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), which tests pet food for avian influenza.

The FDA has already issued recalls for raw pet food contaminated with bird flu, following cases linked to the deaths of household cats.

Related: HHS Layoffs Update: FDA, NIH and CDC Layoffs, Resignations and New Hires

FDA Layoffs Could Threaten H5N1 Response Capacity

One of the most immediate concerns arising from the staffing cuts is the potential impact on the US response to ongoing outbreaks like the measles and bird flu outbreaks.

The bird flu strain H5N1 has been spreading rapidly across dairy herds in multiple states. Public health officials have warned of a growing zoonotic threat.

Since the outbreak began in 2022, bird flu has killed nearly 170 million chickens, turkeys and other birds, driving egg prices to record highs. Recently, prices have eased slightly due to a slowdown in new infections and a rise in egg imports.

The FDA has already suspended a program aimed at improving bird flu diagnostic testing due to the staffing shortfall.

The AVMA noted that without federal coordination and oversight, individual states will struggle to manage outbreaks that cross borders and species.

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