The sweeping federal layoffs in recent days included caretakers for thousands of poultry and herd animals at the USDA National Centers for Animal Health in Ames. The facility is at the forefront of foreign disease diagnostics and livestock vaccine research, including developing a bird flu vaccine for dairy cows. A scientist at the facility, who is identified only as “A” over concerns about their job, says 55 people were escorted off the campus just over a week ago.
The scientist says employees are trying to fill in the gaps with their own unpaid work, but there are discussions about culling animals if they cannot be cared for humanely. “A” says dozens of people have lost their jobs even though many had glowing performance reviews.
The Ames lab also works on vaccine regulations and does testing on milk samples for bird flu and screening of vaccines companies develop for cats and dogs.
US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, in a press release, says she welcomes the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce federal spending and that the USDA is aggressively “eliminating positions that are no longer necessary.”
