The President Donald Trump administration has shuttered a key federal advisory committee responsible for infection control standards in U.S. healthcare facilities, with the termination already in effect for over a month before members were notified, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documents.

What Happened: The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee, which established national guidelines for hand-washing, mask-wearing and patient isolation protocols followed by most American hospitals, was terminated March 31, according to a CDC letter reviewed by NBC News. Members said they were only informed of the decision during a virtual meeting on Friday.

The committee’s termination aligns with Trump’s executive order calling for federal workforce reductions. The CDC and Department of Health and Human Services have not responded to requests for comment.

Four professional societies had previously urged Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to preserve the committee amid widespread cuts to federal health agencies, according to a March 26 letter, the NBC News report noted.

Dr. Anurag Malani, an Infectious Diseases Society of America fellow who joined HICPAC in January, noted the committee was close to finalizing updated airborne pathogen guidelines--the first revision since 2007--which incorporated pandemic lessons.

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Why It Matters: The committee’s dissolution comes amid concerning public health developments, including the CDC’s report of the highest tuberculosis caseload in a decade and a record 216 pediatric flu deaths this season--the most since the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic.

According to the CDC’s termination letter, HICPAC made 540 recommendations during its three-decade existence, with 90% fully implemented nationwide.

Several of the committee’s web pages have been archived, according to the report, indicating they will no longer be updated. Members express concern that critical guidelines will stagnate despite evolving scientific research and emerging threats from drug-resistant organisms.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.