USDA moves to reinstate fired H5N1 response workers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it is working quickly to reverse the firings of several agency employees who are working on the federal government’s response to the H5N1 outbreak.

“Although several positions supporting (bird flu efforts) were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters,” a USDA spokesperson said in a statement. “USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) 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.”