The Hidden Crisis: What Happens If Federal Veterinarians Disappear?

Imagine walking into a grocery store only to find empty shelves where pork, beef, and poultry used to be. Imagine hearing reports of mysterious, untreatable infections sweeping through hospitals, with doctors helpless against their rapid spread. Picture a world where a deadly virus jumps from animals to humans, triggering a pandemic even worse than COVID-19—and this time, no one saw it coming.

This isn’t some dystopian fantasy. It’s what could happen if federal veterinarians abandon their posts due to political upheaval, funding cuts, and dangerous policy shifts. Right now, more than 3,200 veterinarians work for the U.S. government, ensuring that the nation’s food supply is safe, monitoring for deadly zoonotic diseases, and preventing catastrophic agricultural losses. They are the silent guardians standing between us and an outbreak of African swine fever, avian flu, or a new strain of rabies that could sweep through the country unchecked.

And they might be leaving.

Pres Donald Trump has vowed to slash the federal workforce, implement hiring freezes, and revive Schedule F, a policy that strips civil service protections and allows career professionals to be replaced by political appointees. If that happens, the veterinarians protecting our food, farms, and health could be gone overnight.

The consequences? Mass food shortages, disease outbreaks, and economic devastation.

The African Swine Fever Nightmare: A Threat to America's Pork Industry

Right now, an invisible menace is lurking at the edges of American agriculture: African swine fever (ASF). This deadly virus has already ravaged pig populations across China, Europe, and parts of the Caribbean, wiping out entire herds and causing billions of dollars in losses. ASF doesn’t infect humans—but if it enters the U.S., it could wipe out the entire pork industry in a matter of months.

ASF is highly contagious and fatal to pigs, with no cure and no vaccine. It spreads through contaminated feed, clothing, equipment, and even insects. Once it enters a country, it’s nearly impossible to eradicate.

The only thing standing between the U.S. and an ASF outbreak? Federal veterinarians.

Veterinarians working for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) monitor livestock imports, inspect farms, and enforce biosecurity measures that keep ASF out of the country. If those veterinarians disappear due to mass resignations or terminations, the U.S. pork industry—worth over $20 billion—could collapse overnight.

The effects wouldn’t stop at pork. A shutdown in hog farming would lead to:

• Massive food shortages and price spikes in grocery stores

• Job losses for thousands of farmers, meat processors, and food industry workers

• A ripple effect on crops like corn and soybeans, which are used to feed pigs

If ASF enters the U.S., the government would be forced to slaughter millions of pigs to contain the outbreak. The last time something like this happened—in 2014, with a different swine virus—the pork industry lost over $1 billion. ASF would be far worse.

And if no federal veterinarians are left to manage the crisis? We’re looking at a total collapse of the pork industry.

Zoonotic Diseases: The Next Pandemic Could Already Be Here

If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that zoonotic diseases—those that jump from animals to humans—can cripple the world overnight. But COVID-19 was just a warning shot.

Without federal veterinarians monitoring animal health, tracking disease outbreaks, and enforcing safety measures, the U.S. could be blindsided by a pandemic far deadlier than anything we’ve seen before.

Here are just a few of the horrifying diseases lurking in the shadows:

Rabies: A 100% Fatal Death Sentence

Most Americans don’t think about rabies, thanks to federal vaccination programs. But rabies is one of the most horrifying diseases on Earth—once symptoms appear, it is 100% fatal.

If federal veterinarians leave, rabies surveillance and vaccine distribution could falter. The virus, which is spread through animal bites, could surge through wildlife populations, increasing the risk of human exposure. A single infected bat or raccoon could trigger an outbreak of fatal brain infections.

Brucellosis: The ‘Undulant Fever’ That Never Leaves

Brucellosis is a nasty bacterial infection that spreads from livestock to humans through contaminated meat and dairy products. Symptoms include crippling joint pain, night sweats, and chronic fatigue that can last a lifetime.

The USDA works tirelessly to keep brucellosis out of the food supply, but if veterinarians leave, surveillance will collapse. Infected cattle could pass brucellosis to humans through unpasteurized milk or contaminated beef, leading to lifelong suffering.

Avian Influenza: A Bird Flu Pandemic Waiting to Happen

Bird flu has already wiped out millions of poultry in the U.S., but so far, it hasn’t mutated into a form easily transmissible to humans. The problem? It only takes a few genetic tweaks for bird flu to become the next COVID-19.

Federal veterinarians track and contain avian influenza outbreaks in poultry farms. If those veterinarians disappear, bird flu could spread uncontrollably, increasing the chances of a mutation that jumps to humans and sparks a deadly pandemic.

In 1918, a strain of bird flu caused the Spanish flu pandemic, killing over 50 million people worldwide. We could be on the brink of history repeating itself.

Q Fever: The Disease That Turns Lungs to Mush

Q fever is another highly contagious bacterial infection spread from livestock to humans. It causes severe pneumonia, liver damage, and heart infections, and even with treatment, up to 65% of patients develop chronic illness.

Without federal veterinarians enforcing safety measures, Q fever outbreaks could explode on farms, infecting thousands of workers and spreading through food and air.

Food Shortages, Economic Collapse, and National Security Risks

The loss of federal veterinarians wouldn’t just lead to disease outbreaks—it would trigger a nationwide food crisis.

• Meat, dairy, and eggs could become dangerous to consume without proper safety inspections.

• Grocery prices would skyrocket, putting nutritious food out of reach for millions.

• International trade could shut down, as other countries refuse to buy U.S. meat and animal products.

Even the U.S. military relies on veterinarians to keep food safe for deployed troops and care for bomb-sniffing dogsused in counterterrorism. Without them, soldiers could get sick from contaminated food, and security dogs could be left untreated.

The Bottom Line: A Nation on the Brink

Federal veterinarians are the invisible guardians of America’s health and food security. They work tirelessly behind the scenes, preventing disease outbreaks, ensuring safe food, and stopping the next pandemic before it starts.

If they are forced out by political instability and budget cuts, America will face food shortages, disease outbreaks, and economic devastation. The question isn’t if disaster will strike—it’s when.

Will policymakers recognize the vital role of veterinarians before it’s too late? Or will we be forced to learn the hard way what happens when this essential workforce disappears?