On the brink of pandemic of avian flu, Trump dismisses ‘disease detectives’

Almost half of researchers from an American government’s epidemiological surveillance program were fired on Friday, an epidemiologist told AFP CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

According to the source, almost half of about 140 program researchers received the resignation notice. “We are potentially on the edge of another pandemic and fired people who probably have more experience than anyone in this country,” he warned, referring to Avian flu.

The H5N1 virus circulates in poultry and livestock creations from the United States. Nearly 70 people have been infected since early 2024 and one died, which makes experts fear a pandemic if the virus suffers a mutation.