The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended a critical nationwide program aimed at improving testing for bird flu in dairy and pet food products, following sweeping staff cuts within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The decision comes amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce the federal workforce by 10,000 positions, part of a government-wide initiative to streamline operations and cut costs.

The suspended initiative, known as the Interlaboratory Comparison Exercise, involved over 40 laboratories from networks such as the FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network. The program was designed to standardize and enhance testing methods for detecting Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in milk, cheese, and pet food, ensuring reliability and consistency across labs.

FDA sources confirmed that the abrupt reduction in staff has severely hindered the agency’s ability to coordinate the exercise and maintain quality assurance standards. The halt raises concerns over the country’s preparedness to detect and respond to potential outbreaks of bird flu, which remains a serious threat to animal and human health.

The FDA is one of several health agencies affected by the federal layoffs, which have also impacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the job cuts were necessary to comply with new fiscal directives and reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. However, due to the critical nature of certain programs, HHS has signaled that some dismissed employees may be temporarily reinstated until June 2 to minimize disruptions in public health services.

In a related development, a coalition of Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit to block the administration from canceling $11 billion in federal health grants. These funds, originally allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic, support a wide range of public health programs, including mental health services, addiction treatment, and disease tracking.

A federal judge in Rhode Island issued a temporary injunction preventing the funding cuts, arguing that such actions could cause substantial harm to ongoing health initiatives and may have been enacted without proper authority.

Public health experts have voiced growing concern over the implications of these cutbacks. Many fear that the departure of highly skilled scientists and health professionals could undermine the nation’s ability to respond to emerging health threats such as the ongoing measles outbreak and the threat of bird flu. Experts warn that a weakened health infrastructure may leave the U.S. vulnerable in the face of future pandemics.

The suspension of the bird flu testing program is seen as a critical loss at a time when strong disease surveillance systems are more important than ever. With legal battles over funding still underway and uncertainty surrounding staff reinstatements, the effectiveness of U.S. health agencies in addressing national health emergencies hangs in the balance.