CDC temporarily halts testing for several infectious diseases amid staffing shortages

Federal agency, which normally supports state and local public health labs, has been hobbled by staff departures

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The US federal agency responsible for monitoring diseases has temporarily halted certain diagnostic testing, including those for rabies, human herpesvirus and several other infectious illnesses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a list on Monday showing that more than two dozen types of testing are now unavailable.