Trump admin fires CDC 'disease detectives' as bird flu fears rise: sources

Nearly half of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), an elite epidemiology program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was abruptly dismissed by the Trump administration on Friday, sources revealed. The move, seen as a significant setback for public health, comes as concerns grow over a potential bird flu outbreak.

The layoffs align with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency’s broader efforts to reduce the federal workforce and newly appointed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plans to restructure health agencies.

A senior CDC epidemiologist, who supervised several dismissed officers, expressed outrage: “We are potentially facing another pandemic, and yet we’re firing the experts who are best equipped to handle it.”

First reported by CBS News, the cuts primarily target employees still in their probationary periods, making them easier to remove.

Established in 1951, the EIS program trains epidemiologists in outbreak investigation. Its officers have played critical roles in responding to major health crises, from the early Ebola outbreaks in Africa to the first reports of COVID-19 in the United States.

“Without these officers, smallpox would never have been eradicated,” a CDC official stated. “These professionals traveled through jungles, crossed rivers, and worked in remote villages to combat global health threats.”

Impact on Public Health
Known as “disease detectives,” EIS officers are selected through a rigorous process that admits only a small fraction of highly qualified applicants each year. While some work at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, many are deployed across the country to respond to health crises.

Several former CDC directors began their careers as EIS officers, underscoring the program’s importance in shaping public health leadership.

Currently, around 140 officers are spread across two classes. On Friday, the class of 2024 was informed of their terminations, while the class of 2023 was placed under review. Roughly 30 officers remain unaffected, as they were hired under a different mechanism within the U.S. Public Health Service.

In total, nearly 1,300 CDC employees—about 10% of the agency’s workforce—were let go, according to CBS News.

Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University, warned of the consequences: “The EIS is one of the most prestigious and critical programs at the CDC. Dismantling it will directly impact national security and public health.”

Health Secretary RFK Jr. has openly criticized infectious disease research, recently proposing an eight-year halt to such studies in favor of focusing on chronic illnesses. His controversial views extend beyond vaccine skepticism, including questioning the fundamentals of germ theory and HIV/AIDS science.

With the dismissal of highly trained epidemiologists, public health experts fear the U.S. is weakening its ability to respond to future disease outbreaks.

This article was reported by journalist Angelia.