As we are all certainly well-aware, the goal of having one central federal agency conduct public health outbreak screening tests. . . is to ensure that we are uniformly applying rigorous science — in a timely manner, to mistake proof the effort, across the vast 50 separate States.

A missed (or delayed) assay in Alabama (for example) could plausibly result in an epidemic, throughout the Southeast, and beyond. But due to Trump cuts, the CDC must now return responsibility to each state — for testing for suspected cases of rabies, chicken-pox, measles, small-pox, mpox and mumps and rubella, among others. Damn.

Here is the NYT on it all, overnight:

…The diseases were removed from a list of tests the agency conducts for state and local health departments. Experts worry that with drastic staff reductions, the testing may not resume….

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has temporarily paused testing for rabies and pox viruses, the family of viruses that includes smallpox and mpox, according to an update to the agency’s website on Monday.

The C.D.C. offers testing for dozens of pathogens to assist state and local public health laboratories that are not equipped to conduct them. The organization began evaluating its tests in late 2024 as part of an agency-wide review.

But widespread layoffs, hiring freezes and resignations have shrunk the number of qualified scientists who can assist state labs. The C.D.C.’s rabies and pox virus teams have lost many of their members. By July, the rabies team will be down to just one person with the clinical expertise to advise state and local officials, and the pox virus team will have none….

What a dark and senselessly self-destructive time we find ourselves in, indeed — due to an exceedingly poor choice in leadership. Damn.

नमस्ते