The five-pronged plan, which includes vaccine research and temporary import options, comes after the agency was hit hard by sweeping government layoffs.

Soaring egg prices have consumers boiling, and on Wednesday, the United States Department of Agriculture blamed rising costs on the bird flu epidemic and said it will take new steps to quell the outbreak.

The Trump administration believes a renewed emphasis on biosecurity can help in the battle against bird flu and ease egg prices, but the Agriculture Department predicts the current record prices are going to get much worse this year.