Volume 8, Number 10—October 2002
THEME ISSUE
Bioterrorism-related Anthrax
Bioterrorism-related Anthrax
Call-Tracking Data and the Public Health Response to Bioterrorism-Related Anthrax
, Tracee A. Treadwell*, Thomas W. Hennessy†, Paula A. Rosenberg*, Mitchell I. Wolfe*, Clive M. Brown*, and Jay C. Butler†
Table 1
Telephone calls referred to Emergency Operations Center State Liaison Team (SLT), by risk category, October 8 to November 11, 2001
| Risk/urgency classification | Criteria | Frequency (N = 882) | Percent (%) of all calls referred to SLT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1: A “Confirmed” | A. Clinically compatiblea case -and- B. Isolation of Bacillus anthracis or two supportive lab results. | 0b | 0.0 |
| B | A. Clinically compatible case -and- B. B. No isolation of B. anthracis, but one supportive lab result -or- epidemiologic link to confirmed exposure but no supportive lab results | 2 | 0.2 |
| C | A. Clinically compatible case –and- B. No epidemiologic link and no lab results -and- C. Known high-risk group: postal worker, U.S. government official, national press from contaminated facilities/or person with known contact with a contaminated facility -or- Ingestion of, inhalation of, or dermal contact with suspicious substance | 45 | 5.1 |
| D | A. No illness (or reports of symptoms that are clinically unconfirmed by a health professional) -and- B. Known direct exposure to environment confirmed to be contaminated with B. anthracis | 45 | 5.1 |
| E | A. Clinically compatible case –and- B. Not in high-risk group, -and- C. No lab results or epidemiologic link, -and- D. No known exposures to suspicious substance or packages | 134 | 15.2 |
| F | A. No illness (or reports of symptoms that are clinically unconfirmed by a health professional) -and- B. Not in high-risk group, -and- C. No lab results or epidemiologic link, -and- D. Ingestion of, inhalation of, or dermal contact with suspicious substance, or received mail directly from facility known to be contaminated during period of investigation. | 388 | 44.0 |
| G | A. No illness (or reports of symptoms that are clinically unconfirmed by a health professional) -and- B. Not in high-risk group, -and- C. No lab results or epidemiologic link, -and- D. No known exposure to suspicious powder or packages. | 247 | 28.0 |
| Unknown/not classified | A. Unknown or call not related to anthrax | 21 | 2.4 |
aClinically compatible refers to physician or health professional report of any symptom thought to be related to inhalational, cutaneous, or gastrointestinal anthrax.
bCases of anthrax confirmed during this time period were identified through active surveillance by CDC field epidemiology teams and not the Emergency Operations Center telephone bank.
1 Percentages do not add up to 100% as a call could include more than one topic (e.g., requests for information about more than one topic) or type of caller (e.g., caller is a physician who works at a state health department).
2Percentages do not add up to 100% because callers often reported more than one sign or symptom.