The USDA fired staffers working on bird flu. Now it's trying to reverse course
1 month ago

The USDA fired staffers working on bird flu. Now it's trying to reverse course

NPR  

The USDA fired staffers working on bird flu. Now it's trying to reverse course toggle caption J. David Ake/Getty Images The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it is trying to reverse the firing of staffers who worked on the government's response to bird flu, amidst growing concerns about its spread. This isn't the only department trying to reverse firings Several Democratic lawmakers were quick to lay the blame for the bird flu firings on DOGE and Elon Musk, who effectively runs it. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota also amplified reports of USDA's efforts to rehire staffers working on bird flu, writing, "They were 'accidentally' fired by the administration."

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History of this topic

Government on high alert as deadly bird flu jumps species AGAIN - after first human death in US
1 day, 11 hours ago

Government on high alert as deadly bird flu jumps species AGAIN - after first human death in US

Daily Mail  

Experts have issued a stark warning after the world's first case of bird flu in sheep was detected on the UK farm, triggering a Government alert. Bird flu can cause severe illness, including pneumonia, and even death—with experts on high alert amid fears it could trigger a human pandemic. Pictured here: dead cows at a Californian dairy farm In March …

Bird flu alert in US: H7N9 strain detected in poultry farm for first time since 2017
1 week, 1 day ago

Bird flu alert in US: H7N9 strain detected in poultry farm for first time since 2017

Live Mint  

The United States reported the first outbreak of the deadly H7N9 bird flu on a poultry farm since 2017, as the country continues to grapple with another bird flu strain that has infected humans and caused egg prices to hit record highs. The spread of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has ravaged flocks around the world, disrupting supply and …

USDA details new plan to tackle bird flu and lower egg prices
3 weeks, 6 days ago

USDA details new plan to tackle bird flu and lower egg prices

CNN  

CNN — Soaring egg prices have consumers boiling, and on Wednesday, the United States Department of Agriculture blamed rising costs on the bird flu epidemic and said it will take new steps to quell the outbreak. “We are seeing probably even a little bit more increase up until Easter,” Rollins told CNN, but stated that was normal,“ because so many …

US bird flu outbreak concerns continue as health agencies face cuts and information delays
1 month ago

US bird flu outbreak concerns continue as health agencies face cuts and information delays

ABC  

An ongoing avian influenza outbreak in the US shows no signs of abating, as thousands of staff at the nation's leading health and science agencies have been cut. Prior to Mr Trump's inauguration, Dr Adalja participated in calls every few weeks with scientific experts at the CDC and USDA to discuss the bird flu outbreak. Australia's surveillance of bird flu …

H5N1 bird flu found in four Southern California rats
1 month ago

H5N1 bird flu found in four Southern California rats

LA Times  

A worker at a fresh poultry market carries a bag of chicken as fresh poultry is seen in buckets awaiting purchase in El Monte, Californiaon December 19, 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has added black rats to the growing list of mammals that have been infected by H5N1 bird flu. Climate & Environment Dairy workers may have given bird …

Dairy workers may have given bird flu virus to their pet cats, with deadly results
1 month ago

Dairy workers may have given bird flu virus to their pet cats, with deadly results

LA Times  

Mark McAfee owns Raw Farm, the largest raw milk farm in California with some 2,400 head of dairy cattle in Fresno County. When the bird flu virus began striking dairy farms last year, dead barn cats were often the first sign. The study, parts of which were accidentally released this month, details a public health investigation in Michigan from May …

Bird Flu Kills Dairy Workers’ Cats, Suggesting a Viral Change
Trending News
1 month ago

Bird Flu Kills Dairy Workers’ Cats, Suggesting a Viral Change

Live Mint  

-- Two house cats died after contracting bird flu in the homes of dairy workers, a troubling sign that the virus may be moving between species and becoming more widespread. The cats’ owners lived in separate households in Michigan and developed symptoms of H5N1 last May, according to a report released Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and …

Senators from both parties demand Trump administration take action against bird flu: ‘A new urgency is required’
1 month ago

Senators from both parties demand Trump administration take action against bird flu: ‘A new urgency is required’

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Groups of bipartisan senators are writing to newly-confirmed Agriculture Secretary Brooke …

New study warns hundreds could be infected with H5N1 bird flu without symptoms: Are you at risk?
1 month ago

New study warns hundreds could be infected with H5N1 bird flu without symptoms: Are you at risk?

Hindustan Times  

A new study shows that bird flu has silently spread from animals to some veterinarians. In those studies, several of the infected workers remembered having symptoms of H5N1 bird flu, while none of the veterinarians in the new paper recalled any such symptoms. The new study is more evidence that the official US tally of confirmed human bird flu infections …

Agriculture Department tries to rehire fired workers tied to bird flu response
1 month ago

Agriculture Department tries to rehire fired workers tied to bird flu response

Live Mint  

— The Agriculture Department is scrambling to rehire several workers who were involved in the government's response to the ongoing bird flu outbreak that has devastated egg and poultry farms over the past three years. The bird flu outbreak has prompted the slaughter of roughly 160 million birds to help control the virus since the outbreak began in 2022. A …

Agriculture Department tries to rehire fired workers tied to bird flu response
1 month ago

Agriculture Department tries to rehire fired workers tied to bird flu response

Associated Press  

— The Agriculture Department is scrambling to rehire several workers who were involved in the government’s response to the ongoing bird flu outbreak that has devastated egg and poultry farms over the past three years. A USDA spokesperson said the department “continues to prioritize the response to highly pathogenic avian influenza ” and several key jobs like veterinarians, animal health …

USDA Admits Firing People Working On Bird Flu Was A Mistake
1 month ago

USDA Admits Firing People Working On Bird Flu Was A Mistake

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING The Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that it’s trying to hire back fired employees who’d been working on the government’s response to bird flu ― a growing outbreak that’s caused egg prices to soar, ravaged the livestock industry and killed one person in the U.S. so far. “I welcome DOGE’s efforts at USDA because we know that …

DOGE embarrasses Trump again with accidental bird flu expert firings
1 month ago

DOGE embarrasses Trump again with accidental bird flu expert firings

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. NBC’s report revealing that officials at the Department of Agriculture working on the federal …

DOGE accidentally fired USDA staff who were working to contain bird flu outbreak
1 month ago

DOGE accidentally fired USDA staff who were working to contain bird flu outbreak

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency forced the …

Trump administration scrambles to rehire 'accidentally' fired bird flu experts: report
Trending News
1 month ago

Trump administration scrambles to rehire 'accidentally' fired bird flu experts: report

Raw Story  

The Department of Agriculture is quickly flailing to rehire the bird flu experts they just "accidentally" fired, NBC News reported on Tuesday. "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." President Donald …

Some people didn’t know they had a bird flu infection, study of veterinarians suggests
1 month, 1 week ago

Some people didn’t know they had a bird flu infection, study of veterinarians suggests

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — A new study shows that bird flu has silently spread from animals to some veterinarians. In those studies, several of the infected workers remembered having symptoms of H5N1 bird flu, while none of the veterinarians in the new paper recalled any such symptoms. The new study is more evidence that the official U.S. tally of confirmed human …

After delay, CDC releases data signaling bird flu spread undetected in cows and people
1 month, 1 week ago

After delay, CDC releases data signaling bird flu spread undetected in cows and people

NPR  

After delay, CDC releases data signaling bird flu spread undetected in cows and people toggle caption U.S. Department of Agriculture/AP The first study on the H5N1 bird flu outbreak from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make it to publication under the Trump administration came out Thursday. "It means our surveillance is inadequate," says Lauren Sauer, a professor …

New strain of bird flu is detected in a Nevada dairy worker, CDC says
1 month, 2 weeks ago

New strain of bird flu is detected in a Nevada dairy worker, CDC says

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — A dairy worker in Nevada was infected with a new type of bird flu that’s different from the version that has been spreading in U.S. herds since last year, federal health officials said Monday. At least 68 people in the U.S. have been reported infected with bird flu in the last year, according to CDC data. But …

New H5N1 bird flu variant found in Nevada dairy worker as new data shows changes in virus
1 month, 2 weeks ago

New H5N1 bird flu variant found in Nevada dairy worker as new data shows changes in virus

LA Times  

A dairy worker in Nevada may have tested positive for a strain of H5N1 bird flu known to have killed one person and severely sickened another. Last week, federal health officials announced that at least four dairy herds in Nevada had been infected by a strain of the H5N1 bird flu that is circulating in wild birds and that led …

Second type of bird flu detected in US dairy cows
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Second type of bird flu detected in US dairy cows

Associated Press  

Dairy cattle in Nevada have been infected with a new type of bird flu that’s different from the version that has spread in U.S. herds since last year, Agriculture Department officials said Wednesday. A version of the H5N1 bird flu virus known as B3.13 was confirmed in March after being introduced to cattle in late 2023, scientists said. “Now we …

Second form of bird flu already linked to death of Louisiana senior now detected in dairy cattle
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Second form of bird flu already linked to death of Louisiana senior now detected in dairy cattle

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nevada dairy cows have been infected with a new form of …

Ex-Trump surgeon general sounds alarm on president’s actions amid disease outbreaks
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Ex-Trump surgeon general sounds alarm on president’s actions amid disease outbreaks

Raw Story  

Dr. Jerome Adams, the Surgeon General during President Donald Trump’s first administration, is sounding the alarm on his former boss’s actions and disease outbreaks in the U.S. and around the world. “Republicans must understand,” he said, that “they’re gonna own any and all preventable outbreaks / harm moving forward.” According to Scientific American, “Bird flu continues to spread among commercial …

Trump administration’s communication freeze restricted access to critical bird flu information
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Trump administration’s communication freeze restricted access to critical bird flu information

Salon  

For the last four years, the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, has been ravaging wild bird populations, spilling over into other species and infecting poultry and dairy cows. Researchers and public health officials have been putting forth efforts to better understand how bird flu is passed between species to keep it from mutating into something that could become …

Trump administration’s halt of CDC’s weekly scientific report stalls bird flu studies
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Trump administration’s halt of CDC’s weekly scientific report stalls bird flu studies

Salon  

The Trump administration has intervened in the release of important studies on the bird flu, as an outbreak escalates across the United States. “This idea that science cannot continue until there’s a political lens over it is unprecedented,” said Anne Schuchat, a former principal deputy director at the CDC. “I hope it’s going to be very short-lived, but if it’s …

The First US Bird Flu Death Is a Stark Warning
55 years, 2 months ago

The First US Bird Flu Death Is a Stark Warning

Wired  

Yesterday, health officials in Louisiana announced that a patient who was hospitalized with severe bird flu in December has died. A total of 66 people in the US tested positive for bird flu in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The more virus there is in our environment, the more chances there are for it to …

US records its first human death from bird flu
Trending News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

US records its first human death from bird flu

Live Mint  

The first human death linked to bird flu has been reported in the United States, health authorities in Louisiana announced Monday, while noting the patient had underlying medical conditions. ‘Risk of Human-to-Human Transmission Low’ The announcement in mid-December of the patient being in “critical condition” sparked alarm that the United States could see an outbreak of a possible bird flu …

US records its first human death from bird flu
2 months, 2 weeks ago

US records its first human death from bird flu

Deccan Chronicle  

Louisiana health authorities on Monday reported the first human death in the United States linked to bird flu, while noting the patient had underlying medical conditions and that general risks to the public remained "low. "While the current public health risk for the general public remains low, people who work with birds, poultry or cows, or have recreational exposure to …

Louisiana person is the first US bird flu death, health officials say
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Louisiana person is the first US bird flu death, health officials say

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The first U.S. bird …

First U.S. death from bird flu reported in Louisiana
2 months, 2 weeks ago

First U.S. death from bird flu reported in Louisiana

Salon  

On Monday, the Louisiana Department of Health reported that a patient with a severe case of bird flu, caused by the H5N1 virus, had died from their infection, a first for the United States. Even before the patient died, their case made headlines for several reasons: bird flu is raging across North America, swamping dairy and poultry farms and causing …

‘Worrisome’ mutations found in H5N1 bird flu virus isolated from Canadian teenager
2 months, 3 weeks ago

‘Worrisome’ mutations found in H5N1 bird flu virus isolated from Canadian teenager

LA Times  

A California Department of Food and Agriculture technician perform tests on chickens for bird flu in 2006 at the Best Live Poultry & Fish store in Sylmar. The fate of a Canadian teenager who was infected with H5N1 bird flu in early November, and subsequently admitted to an intensive care unit, has finally been revealed: She has fully recovered. But …

Ex-Baltimore health official Leana Wen sparks uproar calling for bird flu vaccine
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Ex-Baltimore health official Leana Wen sparks uproar calling for bird flu vaccine

Daily Mail  

A former Baltimore health official has sparked backlash after she asked Joe Biden to authorize bird flu vaccines before leaving office. Wen added that the 'second very important thing' is that the Biden administration work to secure FDA authorization for the already-developed vaccine against the bird flu. Former Baltimore health commissioner Leana Wen has urged the Biden administration to approve …

How America lost control of bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic
3 months ago

How America lost control of bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic

Salon  

Keith Poulsen’s jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin in October. “I don’t know if the bird flu will become a pandemic, but if it does, we are screwed.” To understand how the bird flu got out of hand, KFF Health News interviewed nearly 70 government officials, farmers and farmworkers, …

How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic
3 months ago

How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic

CNN  

Keith Poulsen’s jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin in October. “I don’t know if the bird flu will become a pandemic, but if it does, we are screwed.” To understand how the bird flu got out of hand, KFF Health News interviewed nearly 70 government officials, farmers and farmworkers, …

California declares state of emergency amid rising bird flu cases
Trending News
3 months ago

California declares state of emergency amid rising bird flu cases

India Today  

The US reported its first severe human case of bird flu on Wednesday in a Louisiana resident who is hospitalised in critical condition after suspected contact with an infected backyard flock. Severe respiratory illness in the Louisiana patient shows increased health risks for people from the virus that previously caused eye redness, or conjunctivitis, in infected dairy workers. "The mild …

Mega-Farms Are Driving the Threat of Bird Flu
3 months, 1 week ago

Mega-Farms Are Driving the Threat of Bird Flu

Wired  

This story originally appeared on Inside Climate News and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. “It’s a lot of trouble.” Further north and west, in the San Joaquin Valley—the heart of the state’s dairy industry—the H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, has rippled through the massive herds that provide most of the country’s milk. The Centers for Disease …

A single mutation could make bird flu much worse, study finds
3 months, 2 weeks ago

A single mutation could make bird flu much worse, study finds

Salon  

As the number of human bird flu cases continues to rise and more dairy farms across the country report outbreaks, scientists are increasingly concerned that the H5N1 virus will mutate to better infect people. In the lab, the authors of the study found that a single mutation in the primary protein, hemagglutinin could give it the ability to cling onto …

Letters to the Editor: A doctor’s fear that we’re careening toward a bird flu disaster
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Letters to the Editor: A doctor’s fear that we’re careening toward a bird flu disaster

LA Times  

Bird flu outbreaks at dairy farms are sparking fears of a major threat to human health. To the editor: As a retired public health and emergency medicine physician, I want to thank you for your recent articles about the bird flu, most recently those articles by Times reporters Susanne Rust and Melissa Gomez. The combination of a mutating and potentially …

Experts say bird flu is more widespread than we think: ‘We are in a soup of virus’
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Experts say bird flu is more widespread than we think: ‘We are in a soup of virus’

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists are warning about the continued transmission of dangerous H5N1 bird …

Despite warnings from bird flu experts, it’s business as usual in California dairy country
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Despite warnings from bird flu experts, it’s business as usual in California dairy country

LA Times  

It was a late fall morning and hundreds of cows — black and white splattered Holsteins and cappuccino-colored Jerseys — milled about a San Joaquin Valley dairy farm in the largest milk-producing state in the nation. The scene seemed utterly unremarkable — except for the fact that five days earlier, the H5N1 bird flu virus that has ravaged California’s dairy …

Urgent 'do not drink' warning issued for trendy milk after alarming bird flu discovery
4 months ago

Urgent 'do not drink' warning issued for trendy milk after alarming bird flu discovery

Daily Mail  

An ex-government food safety expert is urging Americans to avoid raw dairy products following the news that bird flu has been detected in unpasteurized milk in for the first time in California. The state's health department revealed the H5N1 virus was found in a batch of cream top, whole raw milk sold by Fresno-based dairy farm Raw Farm and an …

Bird flu worries European health agencies as they increase virus surveillance
4 months ago

Bird flu worries European health agencies as they increase virus surveillance

Salon  

As flu season nears, Europe is increasing surveillance for human cases of H5N1 influenza, also known as bird flu. “We’ve updated our guidance to include milder symptoms in individuals exposed to birds or other animals,” Angeliki Melidou, principal expert in respiratory viruses at the ECDC, told The Telegraph. “The priority is to strengthen surveillance and ensure we monitor and follow …

Possible bird flu infection reported in California child, health department reports
4 months ago

Possible bird flu infection reported in California child, health department reports

Salon  

The state of California has detected a possible bird flu infection in a child in the Bay Area. The bird flu crisis, driven by the H5N1 virus, began several years ago, but ramped up considerably in April when dairy cows started becoming infected. Related Emails reveal how health departments struggle to track human cases of bird flu Although there have …

Bird flu hits US hard – 46 human cases confirmed, 107 million poultry affected
4 months, 1 week ago

Bird flu hits US hard – 46 human cases confirmed, 107 million poultry affected

Live Mint  

46 human cases of H5 bird flu have been confirmed in the United States as of November 15. Recent human cases among US dairy and poultry workers have raised concerns, prompting increased vigilance in monitoring H5 bird flu activity in people. Impact on wild birds and poultry The H5 bird flu virus is currently widespread in wild bird populations, with …

CDC issues warning over outbreak of 'cow flu' in America
4 months, 2 weeks ago

CDC issues warning over outbreak of 'cow flu' in America

Daily Mail  

The H5N1 bird flu virus spreading among cows is infecting more farm workers than experts realized. The CDC tested 115 workers at farms suffering outbreaks and found eight of them tested positive for the virus - an infection rate of seven percent. The US Department of Agriculture has said it will begin testing bulk milk for bird flu, signaling concern …

CDC issues warning over outbreak of 'cow flu' in multiple Americans
4 months, 2 weeks ago

CDC issues warning over outbreak of 'cow flu' in multiple Americans

Daily Mail  

The H5N1 bird flu virus spreading among cows is infecting more farm workers than experts realized. The CDC tested 115 workers at farms suffering outbreaks and found eight of them tested positive for the virus - an infection rate of seven percent. The US Department of Agriculture has said it will begin testing bulk milk for bird flu, signaling concern …

CDC calls for expanded testing for bird flu after blood tests reveal more farmworker infections
4 months, 2 weeks ago

CDC calls for expanded testing for bird flu after blood tests reveal more farmworker infections

Associated Press  

Federal health officials on Thursday called for more testing of employees on farms with bird flu after a new study showed that some dairy workers had signs of infection, even when they didn’t report feeling sick. Farmworkers in close contact with infected animals should be tested and offered treatment even if they show no symptoms, said Dr. Nirav Shah, principal …

Bird flu spreads across US with dozens of cases now found in 6 states
5 months ago

Bird flu spreads across US with dozens of cases now found in 6 states

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Michigan officials announced the state’s first outbreak since early …

As California bird flu outbreak worsens, a Missouri patient who caught it is alarming experts
5 months, 2 weeks ago

As California bird flu outbreak worsens, a Missouri patient who caught it is alarming experts

Salon  

The H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, has created an enduring crisis this year, massacring millions of birds and other wild animals, while stirring outbreaks in dairy farms across the U.S. As the number of confirmed bird flu cases continues to climb in various states across the country, many public health experts are anxiously awaiting results from testing performed …

California reports two confirmed cases of bird flu infection in Central Valley dairy workers
5 months, 3 weeks ago

California reports two confirmed cases of bird flu infection in Central Valley dairy workers

LA Times  

The two California cases bring the total of human cases associated with bird-flu-infected dairy cows in the U.S. to six. California health officials reported two confirmed cases of H5N1 bird flu infection in Central Valley dairy workers on Thursday afternoon. On Saturday, the California Department of Public Health reported that a third possible human case of bird flu had been …

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