CDC Stops Many Lab Tests for a Quick Check

The CDC has stopped more than twenty lab tests. The pause is only for a short time. Officials say they are doing a routine check to keep tests accurate. The halted tests cover many diseases. Some can be done by private labs, like chickenpox and shingles. Others are rare, such as certain parasites or the virus that causes “sloth fever. ” The CDC hopes most tests will return soon.Why this pause? Experts are unsure. One leader said the CDC has paused tests before, but never so many at once. He thinks staff shortages might be the cause. The CDC’s workforce has shrunk by about a quarter in the last year. Some labs lost half their workers, especially those that handle rabies and poxviruses. The malaria team was hit even harder. State labs might help for now. Facilities in New York and California could run some tests until the CDC restarts its services.