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Step 4: Define & Identify Cases
•The case definition should be specific enough so that not all people in Maine are identified as cases
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•At the same time, the case definition should also be sensitive enough so that cases are not missed
Speaking Points

•The case definition should be specific enough to avoid false positives but also sensitive enough so that cases are not missed

•The CDC’s general case definition of anthrax follows:

“The 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”

•Note that during an outbreak, the case definition would be more complex, and include elements of time and place.