FDA halts bird flu testing initiative amid sweeping HHS staffing cuts

USA – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has suspended efforts to enhance testing for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) following mass staff layoffs across the Department of Health and Human Services.

The decision, first reported by Reuters, halts the launch of the FDA’s Interlaboratory Comparison Exercise, a nationwide quality assurance program designed to improve HPAI detection in dairy and pet food products. 

The initiative, which was scheduled to begin later this month, was called off last week due to a shortage of personnel at the FDA’s Human Food Program, which would have provided critical scientific and testing support.

The staffing cuts are part of a broader federal workforce reduction plan announced by HHS on March 27, aimed at eliminating 10,000 positions to save US$1.8 billion annually. 

The layoffs, which began in early April, are being carried out under the direction of President Donald Trump’s administration, with oversight from billionaire ally Elon Musk.

According to an internal email obtained by Reuters, the suspended program would have coordinated over 40 laboratories across the FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), the USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network, FDA food labs, and private sector partners. 

The initiative was expected to play a pivotal role in verifying the accuracy and consistency of bird flu testing during the current outbreak in U.S. dairy cattle, which has already impacted nearly 1,000 herds.

Currently, the FDA is responsible for testing consumer dairy products, while the USDA handles bulk milk screening before processing.

The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) was among the hardest hit by the staff reductions, losing more than 140 experts, including many veterinarians. 

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) expressed concern over the impact, noting that CVM teams are vital to safeguarding public and animal health through work on antimicrobial resistance, food safety, disease control, and veterinary drug availability.

“This reduction affects offices dealing directly with critical public health issues, including avian influenza,” AVMA President Dr. Sandra Faeh said. “The expertise lost through these cuts puts both animal and human health at risk.”

In a separate misstep earlier this year, the USDA admitted to accidentally firing key personnel involved in the HPAI response, later stating it was working to reverse the dismissals. It remains unclear how many of those individuals have been reinstated.

As the HPAI outbreak spreads among livestock, public health experts warn that suspending key testing improvements could hamper the nation’s ability to contain the virus and protect the food supply.

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