https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/usda-firings-bird-flu-humans-dpcp5m5g3
Several officials working to contain America’s bird flu outbreak have accidentally been fired during efforts to cut the federal workforce, the US Department of Agriculture has revealed.

Dozens of cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been reported this month. Scientists fear that unless it is contained, a pandemic could develop, worsening a drastic shortage of eggs.

The average price of a dozen Grade A large eggs rose to a record high last month, jumping to $4.95, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In May 2023, the same product cost $2.67.

Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman and ally of President Trump, and his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) have sacked thousands of workers across multiple departments and agencies.

On Tuesday, the agriculture department said it was working to rehire staff who had been fired in error, including officials working on the government’s bird flu response.

“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,” the agency said.

“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.”

Tanya Chutkan, a Washington district judge, declined on Tuesday to immediately block Doge from directing the firings of federal workers or accessing government databases. She did say, however, that the case raises questions about Musk’s apparent unchecked authority.

Chutkan denied a request by more than a dozen states for a judicial order barring Doge from accessing computer systems at seven federal agencies or purging government workers while litigation plays out.

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Officials preventing bird flu outbreaks "accidentally fired" by DOGE