Analysis: Trump administration's cost cutting, policies, hinders campaign against bird flu --experts

The campaign to curb bird flu on the nation’s farms has been slowed by the chaotic transition to a new administration that is determined to cut costs, reduce the federal work force and limit communications, according to interviews with more than a dozen scientists and federal officials.

On poultry farms, more than 168 million birds have been killed in an effort to curtail outbreaks. Since the virus first appeared on American dairy cattle about a year ago, it has spread to 17 states and infected more than 1,000 herds.

In its first months, the Trump administration has fired teams of scientists crucial to detecting the spread of the virus, canceled important meetings, and limited access to data even for federal scientists.

The Department of Health and Human Services has not held a public news briefing on bird flu since January, and did not respond to requests for comment.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, has suggested allowing the virus to spread uncontrolled through poultry flocks to identify birds that might be immune, an idea that scientists called reckless and dangerous. His comments prompted Democratic lawmakers to open an investigation into the federal response.

The Trump administration has also eliminated funding for programs at the Food and Agriculture Organization, an agency at the United Nations, that monitor and contain bird flu in 49 countries.

“It’s just like watching this almost textbook story of how a virus spreads through animals, mixes in different types of animals and then is able to jump to humans,” said Linsey Marr, an expert in airborne viruses at Virginia Tech.

“We are getting strong warning signs from animals and people, and we are just watching and not doing a lot about it,” she added.

Bird flu has infected dozens of mammal species, including 150 domestic cats in 26 states and at least 70 people, leading to four hospitalizations and one death. After a lull this winter, the spring migratory season has renewed the pace of infections.

Over the past 30 days, the Department of Agriculture, which regulates the livestock industry, has confirmed new infections in 47 herds in three states.

The virus, called H5N1, does not yet seem to be able to spread from person to person. But with one recent mutation, it seems to have moved closer to becoming a human contagion, a worrisome development.

This week, an international group of virologists concluded that turning back bird flu would require continuous monitoring of milk from dairy farms, wastewater and people working with infected animals — a tall order when federal and state officials do not have the legal authority to compel farms to test animals or people.

Officials are testing bulk milk, which has helped to identify infected herds. But the Agriculture Department’s plan to combat bird flu is now focused on lowering egg prices and makes little mention of dairy cattle.

Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary, has proposed improving farm biosecurity, helping producers in 10 states prevent the virus’s spread on their premises.

“Our initial expansion of these ongoing efforts will focus on egg-laying facilities — as part of U.S.D.A.’s concerted effort to address egg prices — but we expect to include other poultry producers and dairy producers as well, as the programs are expanded and implemented,” the department said in a statement to The New York Times. ...