Analysis: While the Trump administration fires federal health workers, the U.S. copes with outbreaks of measles and other diseases.

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.

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