DAVIS, Calif. — A critical staffing shortage at a key UC Davis animal health laboratory is raising concerns as it struggles to meet testing demands during an ongoing avian influenza outbreak.
The California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, which has been processing a surge of samples, is facing mounting pressure due to understaffing, according to lab workers.
Amy Fletcher, a researcher and union representative, says the lab has been critically short-staffed for years, with the current outbreak exacerbating the issue.
“There is still a lot of overtime being worked,” Fletcher said. “There are still a lot of people being moved around. And there’s still just a lack of concern over the amount of samples that need to be processed and the number of people that can do it.”
The outbreak, which has infected millions of birds, has now been detected in dairy cows. Health officials warn contaminated raw milk could pose risks to human health.
In a statement, UC Davis said the lab has managed testing demands without compromising safety and noted it has hired additional staff and redistributed testing efforts.
However, Fletcher and her colleagues say the intense workload has taken a toll on employees and that their repeated calls for action have gone unanswered.
“We met with the director of the labs, we met with the dean, we submitted multiple petitions,” Fletcher said. “It really felt like there was nowhere left to go, and this issue is really critical. It really is a crisis.”
The researchers’ union plans to hold an informational picket next week to raise awareness about the challenges. UC Davis stated it remains committed to listening to staff concerns and addressing the issues.
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