CDC Pauses Diagnostic Testing for Several Diseases

The federal agency responsible for tracking diseases has halted its diagnostic testing for rabies, monkeypox, and various other infectious diseases.

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a list detailing over two dozen types of tests that are currently unavailable.

This isn’t the first instance of the CDC pausing lab testing, but this time it seems more extensive. The reason for this pause isn’t entirely clear, as noted by Scott Becker, CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories.

A government representative characterized the pause as temporary, stating it’s part of a “routine review to maintain our commitment to high-quality laboratory testing.”

Andrew Nixon from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, mentioned that some tests are expected to return to availability in the coming weeks. Until then, CDC is ready to assist state and local partners in accessing necessary public health tests.

The CDC’s lab operations faced criticism during the COVID-19 pandemic and underwent a subsequent review. Becker mentioned that the agency has been assessing its testing processes since 2024.

However, he pointed out that there could be other factors involved in taking tests offline, including staffing shortages.

Rabies is a serious viral infection transmitted through bites or scratches from infected animals, according to the CDC.

This pause in lab testing is occurring amid significant downsizing at the CDC over the past year due to layoffs, retirements, resignations, and the nonrenewal of temporary roles. Estimates suggest staffing has dropped by 20% to 25%, affecting all areas of the agency, including laboratories.

Both the poxvirus and rabies laboratories lost nearly half of their personnel, and the malaria division was even more severely impacted, according to the National Public Health Coalition, a group of current and former CDC staff formed in response to the downsizing.

Some of the paused tests are for common infections where commercial options are available, such as the Epstein-Barr virus and the varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles. However, the list also includes tests for more obscure pathogens, like those responsible for “snail fever” and “sloth fever.”

Some specialized state laboratories in places like New York and California can help fill the gap while CDC testing is on hold, Becker mentioned.

He expressed concern about the pauses becoming a permanent fixture.

Meanwhile, Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, a liver disease specialist, voiced support for CDC guidelines recommending hepatitis B vaccinations for infants, amid worries that the ACIP may consider changing this recommendation.