The CDC has temporarily paused diagnostic testing for rabies and pox viruses, according to an agency website update first reported by the New York Times. These tests, performed by the CDC on behalf of state and local health laboratories lacking the same capacity, are critical diagnostic tools for public health response.
An HHS spokesperson told the Times that some tests are expected to be made available again in the coming weeks, but did not specify which tests would return or timeline. The pause comes at a time when the agency lacks a director, and staff have expressed anger and distrust of Trump administration officials.
Deb Houry, former CDC chief medical officer who resigned from the agency last summer, told STAT that the pause represents “an example of the continued hemorrhaging of scientific expertise that is very hard to recruit for and replace. This lost capacity will result in all of us being less safe from health threats.”
The news highlights workplace turbulence at federal health agencies. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary acknowledged the challenges facing his agency, noting “we had some difficulty here due to some actions just before I came into the office.” The Trump administration laid off 10,000 people at HHS, including 3,500 FDA employees, marking continued workplace disruption.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.statnews.com/2026/04/02/health-news-cdc-stops-testing-for-pox-rabies/