Laboratoryconfirmed
Laboratory-confirmed is a term used in public health and clinical reporting to designate a disease case for which a pathogen has been detected by an accredited laboratory test. It provides objective evidence of infection and is used to distinguish confirmed cases from clinically diagnosed or suspected cases. In many surveillance systems, a case is classified as laboratory-confirmed when a validated diagnostic test yields a positive result for the etiologic agent, or when an organism is isolated or a specific antibody response is demonstrated according to established case definitions.
Tests that support laboratory confirmation include nucleic acid amplification tests (such as PCR), antigen detection assays,
Limitations and considerations accompany laboratory confirmation. Test sensitivity and specificity, timing of specimen collection, and the