The US Department of Agriculture is trying to reinstate employees who were fired "accidentally" a few days ago.

The professionals in question were working on the bird flu problem in the US. Last month, a new strain of "highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N9 was confirmed at a duck farm in California.

"Over the weekend, several workers supporting efforts to fight bird flu were notified of the termination of their employment. We are now working to quickly rectify the situation and rescind those decisions," a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture told ABC News.

"The people on the front lines at USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service are all about public safety, and we continue to hire the workforce necessary to ensure the safety and adequate supply of food to fulfill our statutory mission," he added.

US President Donald Trump is seeking to cut the number of federal employees, a task spearheaded by billionaire Ilon Musk and his Government Efficiency Agency. | BGNES