CDC - Bioterrorism Agents/Diseases by Category

Category A Definition

The U.S. public health system and primary healthcare providers must be prepared to address various biological agents, including pathogens that are rarely seen in the United States. High-priority agents include organisms that pose a risk to national security because they:

• can be easily disseminated or transmitted from person to person;
• result in high mortality rates and have the potential for major public health impact;
• might cause public panic and social disruption; and
• require special action for public health preparedness.

Agents/Diseases

• Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)
• Botulism (Clostridium botulinum toxin)
• Plague (Yersinia pestis)
• Smallpox (variola major)
• Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
• Viral hemorrhagic fevers, including
  • Filoviruses (Ebola, Marburg)
  • Arenaviruses (Lassa, Machupo)

Category B Definition

Second highest priority agents include those that

• are moderately easy to disseminate;
• result in moderate morbidity rates and low mortality rates; and
• require specific enhancements of CDC’s diagnostic capacity and enhanced disease surveillance.

Agents/Diseases

• Brucellosis (Brucella species)
• Epsilon toxin of Clostridium perfringens
• Food safety threats (Salmonella species, Escherichia coli O157:H7, 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 (alphaviruses, such as eastern equine encephalitis, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, and western equine encephalitis])
• Water safety threats (Vibrio cholerae, Cryptosporidium parvum)

Category C Definition

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; and
• potential for high morbidity and mortality rates and major health impact.

Agents

• Emerging infectious diseases such as Nipah virus and hantavirus

https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/agentlist-category.asp#a