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Anthrax—Bacillus anthracis, Page 1 of 2
< Previous page Next page > /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555818814/9781555818814_Chap16.4-1.gif /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555818814/9781555818814_Chap16.4-2.gifAbstract:
Bacillus anthracis, the agent of anthrax, is a zoonotic disease that is transmissible to humans through consumption or handling of contaminated products; it is an aerobic, spore-forming, nonmotile, large Gram-positive bacterium ( 1 ). It is classified as a Tier I, Category A agent because of its suitability for use as a biothreat agent in an attack or commission of a biocrime. This procedure describes the steps to rule out, recognize, and presumptively identify this organism in clinical specimens in sentinel clinical laboratories. Such laboratories are defined as those that are certified to perform high-complexity testing under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment of 1988 (CLIA’88) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the applicable microbiology specialty. Laboratory in-house testing includes Gram stains and at least one of the following: lower respiratory tract, wound, or blood cultures.