Almost half of the researchers of a government program of American epidemiological surveillance They were fired for the president’s management Donald Trump This Friday, an official told AFP.
According to an epidemiologist of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) That he spoke on condition of anonymity, almost half of the nearly 140 program researchers have received notification of their dismissal.
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“We are potentially on the edge of another pandemic and say goodbye to people who probably have more experience than anyone in the country”he warned, referring to the avian flu.
He H5N1 virus It circulates in poultry and livestock farms in the United States. Almost 70 people have infected since the beginning of 2024 and one is dead, which makes experts fear a pandemic if they mutate.
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Nicknamed the “Disease detectives”dismissed researchers worked for the epidemiological intelligence service, “One of the most prestigious programs of the CDC”explained to AFP Amesh Adalja, a specialist in infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University.
“Any attempt to end this program will have a direct impact on the national security and health of the United States”warned this doctor.
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These researchers are responsible for investigating epidemics and have played an outstanding role in previous international health crises. Without them “We would not have eliminated the smallpox from the planet”the source insisted.
In addition to these researchers, other CDC officials have been fired. The American medium CBS accounts for about 1,300 employees, that is, about 10% of the workforce.
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Trump has ordered Elon Muskthe richest man in the world, reduce federal expenditure. The new Secretary of Health, Robert Kennedy Jr.also suggested on Thursday that they could reform health agencies.
