The U.S. public health system and primary healthcare providers prepare 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.

Category A Biological Agents include:

Anthrax
Plague
Tularemia
Botulism
Smallpox
Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers