Likely the kind of people working for the government on things like bird flu are, at least in part, doing it for the greater good, rather than exclusively personal benefit (i.e. pay, status or even stability). That kind of person might be more willing to work for a perceived bad employer than you or I, since that employer - for the time being, anyway - is likely to have more reach (for information or material dispensation) than most any other entity.

edit: Also, even if they are motivated purely by personal benefit, this seems like it would put them in a pretty strong negotiating position. They could use the situation to get themselves a cushy contract while finding something more reliable.