CDC pauses dozens of diagnostic tests as labs face scrutiny
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has paused a wide range of laboratory diagnostic testing, including tests for rabies and monkeypox, the agency said in a list posted this week. The CDC said the affected tests have become unavailable, in a move that drew concern from an industry leader who said it is not fully clear why the agency has paused more types of testing than in earlier instances.
According to the Associated Press, the CDC’s posted list covers more than two dozen types of diagnostic lab testing for infectious diseases. The list includes testing for rabies and monkeypox as well as other pathogens, and it reflects that the CDC has taken some tests offline previously but is now doing so across a broader set of diagnoses.
A government spokesman said the pause is temporary, attributing the step to “a routine review to uphold our commitment to high quality laboratory testing.” The spokesman also pointed to continuing support for partners while the CDC’s laboratories pause specific diagnostics.
Andrew Nixon, who represents the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that oversees the CDC, said in a statement that the agency expects some of the tests to be available through CDC labs again in the coming weeks. Nixon also said CDC “stands ready to support our state and local partners to access the public health testing they need,” as federal and local laboratories look to maintain coverage for disease detection.
Scott Becker, chief executive officer of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, said he found the scale of the shutdowns troubling, saying it was “not totally clear why” the CDC is pausing more kinds of tests than ever before. Becker described the pauses as “concerning, only if it’s permanent,” suggesting that the key question for testing capacity is whether the CDC’s offline diagnostics return on a defined timetable.
The reporting linked the decision to the CDC’s recent organizational and staffing changes. CDC laboratory operations were faulted during the COVID-19 pandemic and were later reviewed, and the agency has been evaluating its testing since 2024, Becker said. The article also said there can be other reasons to take tests offline, including staffing issues, which Becker referenced as part of the broader context.
In the last year, the CDC underwent dramatic downsizing through layoffs, retirements, resignations and the nonrenewal of temporary appointments, according to the Associated Press report. The staffing losses were described as falling by 20% to 25% depending on the estimate, and the reductions were said to be felt across the agency, including in its laboratories.
The reporting cited that the poxvirus and rabies labs lost about half their prior staff and that the CDC’s malaria branch was “gutted even more,” according to the National Public Health Coalition, an organization of former and current CDC workers. The paused testing also extends beyond certain common infections with commercial alternatives, with the article describing tests for more specialized agents on the CDC list.
Some specialized state laboratories, the report said, have the ability to pick up testing when CDC tests are on pause, with Becker pointing to capabilities at labs in New York and California. The CDC’s laboratory pauses, in the agency’s own description, are paired with an expectation that some testing will resume, but Becker’s comments underscored uncertainty about whether and how quickly the CDC can restore the full range of diagnostics.