Staff at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been ordered to stop communicating with the World Health Organization, according to a new memo, dealing a significant blow to global health efforts.

Experts said the sudden stoppage was a surprise and would set back work on investigating and trying to stop outbreaks of Marburg virus and mpox in Africa, as well as brewing threats from around the world.

President Trump has picked former Congressman David Weldon to serve as his CDC director. Previous directors have been able to start soon after they were picked. But under a law passed by Congress in 2022, Weldon will need to be confirmed by the Senate before starting in the position.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is going dark, along with other federal agencies within the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This week, the returning Trump administration told these agencies to stop talking to the public—for how long, no one knows.

Amid a deluge of executive actions, the Trump administration has directed federal health agencies to pause external communications, such as regular scientific reports, updates to websites and health advisories,

The memo says staff should coordinate with presidential appointees before issuing official communications to public officials.

W ith respiratory-disease season in full swing and a bird flu outbreak rapidly evolving, the new Trump Administration has ordered federal health agencies to secure White House approval before communicating with the public.

The Trump administration’s freeze on communications from U.S. health agencies is leading to another disruption: the abrupt cancellation of scientific meetings. The move covers a swath of health conditions,

The Trump Administration has frozen many federal health agencies’ communications with the public until at least the end of the month.

Trump told TIME in April he would close the White House's pandemic preparedness office. It's losing most of its staff during the transition, according to Biden officials.

The agencies are charged with making decisions that touch the lives of every American and are the source of crucial information to health-care providers.

Trump told TIME in April he would close the White House's pandemic preparedness office. It's losing most of its staff during the transition, according to Biden officials.