How does a healthcare provider recognize and/or differentiate between biological agents in a bioterrorist attack?
Biological agents can be classified into 3 different categories according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), categories A, B, and C. These categories are based on ease of dissemination or transmission, ability to result in high mortality, potential to cause panic or social disruption, and necessary requirements for public health preparedness. Category A agents pose a major threat to national security due to their relative ease of production, high risk of mortality, and increased potential for a medical emergency associated with their use. Subsequently these agents require diligent national security efforts and specific interventions to assure public health preparedness. According to the CDC , there are 6 main Category A agents that are most likely to be utilized in an attack: Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), Yersinia pestis (plague), variola major (smallpox), Clostridium botulinum toxin (botulism), Francisella tularensis (tularemia), and the viral agents of African h
