The Trump administration has disrupted the U.S. response to the worsening bird flu outbreak, causing confusion among federal staff, state officials, and health experts, sources told Reuters.
Since Trump took office on January 20, the CDC and USDA have withheld bird flu reports, canceled meetings with state officials, and delayed congressional briefings. The CDC paused two weekly reports on bird flu transmission and surveillance, while the USDA failed to respond to state inquiries about a new food safety program.
The disruption has sparked anxiety among federal health staff, fearing critical information is not being shared in time. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, called the situation “complicating matters at a bad time.”
Trump’s withdrawal from the WHO has further hindered global information-sharing, three sources said. While the CDC maintains the public risk is low, scientists worry about the virus mutating for human-to-human spread. Since April, bird flu has infected nearly 70 people in the U.S., killing one, while wiping out 159 million birds and driving egg prices to record highs.
On February 5, the USDA reported a second strain infecting dairy cattle, increasing concerns. Before Trump’s inauguration, regular communication with state officials helped manage the crisis, but since then, briefings and meetings were paused.
The CDC has delayed releasing key reports, including one on infected indoor cats and another on wastewater surveillance in Oregon. Experts like Arthur Reingold call the delay “extraordinary.”
The U.S. also skipped a WHO meeting on influenza strains. Some states, like Minnesota, have struggled to get USDA responses. After a three-week gap, USDA resumed congressional briefings on February 7.
Also read: DOJ Sues New York Over Immigration Law
