The USDA is scrambling to rehire officials working to curb the spread of bird flu after firing them

A man in a white coal holds a chicken while standing in a chicken barn. (Credit: Justin Sullivan—Getty Images)

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture fired several of its personnel responsible for working to stop the spread of the H5N1 avian flu over the weekend. The agency is now trying to find and rehire those workers. The bird flu has affected more than 160 million birds nationally since 2022, contributing to rocketing egg prices and the endangerment of farm workers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working to rehire employees it fired over the weekend, many of whom were part of the federal government’s efforts to stop the spread of the virulent H5N1 avian flu that has killed millions of livestock and contributed to sky-high egg prices.