US CDC stops testing services for key infectious diseases: rabies, mpox, measles, EBV, SARS and others

8 April 2026. Related: Early access, Activism & advocacy.

Simon Collins, HIV i-Base

On 8 April 2026, US activist organisation TAG issued a press release about the recent decision by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to put on hold or permanently discontinue many of its diagnostic testing services. This includes testing for rabies, mpox, and nearly a dozen other infectious diseases. [1, 2]

“The CDC said it would permanently discontinue many other tests including leishmania species identification (potentially critical for determining appropriate treatment), measles immune response, Epstein-Barr Virus antibodies and respiratory panels for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza.

Rapid diagnoses for infectious diseases are crucial for administering life-saving treatment after exposure and reduced testing support will have devastating effects.

The pause arrives at a moment when the CDC is already in a state of crisis having been weakened by the Trump administration through budget cuts, the forced departure of senior employees and a deliberate attack on its scientific sovereignty. Undermining the CDC will cripple the ability of the United States to anticipate and manage public health emergencies. When surveillance infrastructure deteriorates, the ability to identify outbreaks and track them over time is reduced.”

Calling for the immediate reinstatement of essential diagnostic testing, the statement stresses that removing it “will further endanger lives and leave the US population more vulnerable to outbreaks of infectious diseases,” particularly those with advanced HIV disease.

Please see the full press release and the US CDC website for further details.

References

1. TAG press release. The CDC’s Unjustified Halt on Testing for Dangerous Pathogens is Bad for Everyone’s Health – TAG Calls for CDC to Immediately Reinstate Essential Diagnostic Testing. 08 April 2026.
   https://www.treatmentactiongroup.org/statement/cdc-testing-pause
2. US CDC Test Directory. (Accessed 8 April 2026).
   https://cdc.gov/infectious-diseases-labs/php/test-directory/index.html