In a statement, WADA confirmed the only accredited laboratory in the country - called the Laboratorio Nacional de Prevención y Control del Dopaje-CONADE - was no longer conducting anti-doping analyses.

The facility stopped its work on November 15, leading WADA to embark on a concerted attempt to convince the Mexican Public Authorities to resume operations.

The announcement "follows weeks of sustained efforts by the agency to inform the Mexican Public Authorities of the benefits of maintaining an accredited laboratory in Mexico", WADA said.

It deals a blow to WADA and its anti-doping efforts in the region, although there remain five accredited laboratories in the Americas.

WADA said it was satisfied the laboratory "took all necessary measures to notify its clients of its decision to cease operations and assist all relevant testing authorities with the transfer of samples, where required, to another WADA-accredited Laboratory".

The accreditation of the Mexico City laboratory had been suspended in November 2016 for non-compliance with the international standard, and it took more than a year for WADA to reinstate the facility.

Accredited laboratories in Athens, Bangkok, New Delhi and Helsinki remain suspended by WADA.

The facility in the Finnish capital suspended itself "while it finalises its plan to re-locate to a new facility, under a new host organisation".