CDC Halts Diagnostic Testing for Various Infectious Diseases

The U.S. federal agency in charge of disease monitoring has put a pause on specific diagnostic tests, including those for rabies, human herpesvirus, and a number of other infectious diseases.

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a list indicating that over two dozen types of diagnostic testing are currently unavailable.

The CDC typically conducts tests for many pathogens to assist state and local public health agencies that may not have the necessary resources. Last year, the agency started reviewing its testing programs as part of an internal assessment.

Tests that have been suspended include some for common infections that can also be tested commercially, like the Epstein-Barr virus and varicella zoster virus, which is responsible for chickenpox and shingles. Interestingly, there are also tests on the list for some lesser-known organisms, such as parasitic worms associated with “snail fever” and the virus that causes “sloth fever.”

A spokesperson for the CDC mentioned in a statement that “several infectious disease tests are temporarily paused as CDC evaluates these assays as part of our routine review to uphold our commitment to high quality laboratory testing. CDC maintains regular communication with state and local health departments and can assist in coordinating testing through alternative laboratories if necessary.”

They added, “We expect some of these tests will be available through CDC labs again in the coming weeks. In the meantime, CDC is prepared to support our state and local partners to access the public health testing they require.”

A mix of layoffs, hiring freezes, and voluntary departures has significantly reduced the number of experienced scientists available to help with laboratory work. By July, the rabies team will reportedly have just one expert to offer guidance to state and local officials, while the poxvirus team will have no one, according to reports.

This halt in testing services comes on the heels of significant workforce reductions at the CDC over the past year, driven by layoffs, retirements, and the ending of temporary positions. Certain estimates suggest that staffing has decreased by 20% to 25%.

Notably, both the poxvirus and rabies divisions have lost about half of their workforce, while the CDC’s malaria division has faced even more severe cuts.

The CDC experienced turmoil last year when over a thousand employees were notified by the Trump administration about job losses, resulting in the elimination of entire offices. Although many of these dismissals were later partially reversed, hundreds of employees were offered their positions back.

In June, the Secretary of Health and Human Services made headlines by hand-picking new advisory committee members after dismissing the previous ones. However, a federal judge later halted these appointments, suggesting they may have violated federal law.

As a result, the U.S. currently lacks a fully functioning advisory committee, and some crucial vaccines are no longer recommended, including the latest flu and Covid shots, as well as the RSV shot for infants in the federal Vaccines for Children program, which serves a significant number of U.S. children.