November 7, 2001—The Centers for Disease Control has released an updated summary of local and state confirmed cases and exposures to cutaneous and inhalation anthrax. As of the week of November 5, there have been 7 cases confirmed of cutaneous and 10 confirmed cases of inhalation anthrax. There have been 4 deaths associated with inhalational anthrax. CDC confirmed cases are based on a rigorous case definition which was published in CDCs Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on October 19, 2001. The MMWR is available on-line.
CDC defines a confirmed case of anthrax as 1) a clinically compatible case of cutaneous, inhalational, or gastrointestinal illness that is laboratory confirmed by isolation of B. anthracis from an affected tissue or site or 2) other laboratory evidence of B. anthracis infection based on at least two supportive laboratory tests. CDC defines a suspect case as 1) a clinically compatible case of illness without isolation of B. anthracis and no alternative diagnosis, but with laboratory evidence of B. anthracis by one supportive laboratory test or 2) a clinically compatible case of anthrax epidemiologically linked to a confirmed environmental exposure, but without corroborative laboratory evidence of B. anthracis infection.
