Measles Cases Spread in Texas and New Mexico as Trump Purges Federal Health Workers

A measles outbreak spreading in western Texas has ignited public health concerns at a time when the Trump administration has moved to purge workers at federal health agencies.

This past weekend, hundreds of staff with probationary status at several agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services – including the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – were given termination notices, according to reports, as part of the White House’s overhaul of the government.

Among the agencies affected was the CDC. Reports indicate the agency laid off around 700 employees, including members of a lab program who help investigate what’s causing a disease outbreak. The agency’s Epidemic Intelligence Service for “disease detectives” who often respond to local outbreaks, however, was reportedly spared.

The personnel moves come as the U.S. continues to contend with several public health challenges. In addition to the uptick in measles cases, an ongoing bird flu outbreak affecting poultry and dairy cows shows no signs of slowing down, while a harsher-than-normal flu season fuels a high rate of hospitalizations.