Pre-Event Planning

Criteria for Implementation of Smallpox Response Plan

Authorities will also need to understand what will trigger the implementation of their smallpox response plan. In the United States, it has been determined that triggering of the response plan will occur if there is confirmation of the virus in a specimen, a large outbreak of a clinically compatible illness, or the confirmation of smallpox virus in an environmental sample or distribution device. Other criteria for implementing the smallpox response plan are:

  1. Confirmation of smallpox virus, antigen or nucleic acid in a clinical specimen.
  2. Large outbreak of clinically compatible illness pending etiologic confirmation.
  3. Confirmation of smallpox virus in environmental sample, package or device associated with potential human exposure.

Reports of suspected or probable cases once an outbreak has been previously identified should also illicit implementation of the smallpox response plan.

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