Table 3.
Categorization of potential bioterrorism agents/diseases
| Category A (definition below) |
| Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) |
| Botulism (Clostridium botulinum toxin) |
| Plague (Yersinia pestis) |
| Smallpox (Variola major) |
| Tularemia (Francisella tularensis) |
| Viral hemorrhagic fevers |
| Category B (definition below) |
| Brucellosis (Brucella sp.) |
| Epsilon toxin of Clostridium perfringens |
| Food safety threats (e.g., Salmonella sp., Shigella) |
| Glanders (Burkholderia mallei) |
| Melioidosis (Burkholderia pseudomallei) |
| Psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci) |
| Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) |
| Ricin toxin from Ricinus communis (castor beans) |
| Staphylococcal enterotoxin B |
| Typhus fever (Rickettsia prowazekii) |
| Viral encephalitis |
| Water safety threats (e.g., Vibrio cholerae, Cryptosporidium) |
| Category C (definition below) |
| Emerging infectious diseases such as Nipah virus and Hantavirus |
| Category A Diseases/Agents: High priority agents include organisms that pose a risk to national security because they can: |
| Easily be disseminated or transmitted from person to person |
| Result in high mortality rates and have the potential for major public health impact |
| Possibly cause public panic and social disruption |
| Require special action for public health preparedness |
| Category B Diseases/Agents: Second highest priority agents include those that: |
| Are moderately easy to disseminate |
| Result in moderate morbidity rates and low mortality rates |
| Require specific enhancements of CDC's diagnostic capacity and enhanced disease surveillance |
| Category C Diseases/Agents: Third highest priority agents include emerging pathogens that could be engineered for mass dissemination in the future because of: |
| Availability |
| Ease of production and dissemination |
| Potential for high morbidity and mortality rates and major health impact |