Emerging Infectious Disease ISSN: 1080-6059

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Public Health Assessment of Potential Biological Terrorism Agents

Lisa D. Rotz

, Ali S. Khan, Scott R. Lillibridge, Stephen M. Ostroff, and James M. Hughes

Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA;

Main Article

Table 2

Criteria and weighting^a used to evaluate potential biological threat agents

Disease	Public health impact		Dissemination potential		Public perception	Special preparation	Category
Disease	Disease	Death	P-D^b	P - P^c	Public perception	Special preparation	Category
Smallpox	+	++	+	+++	+++	+++	A
Anthrax	++	+++	+++	0	+++	+++	A
Plague^d	++	+++	++	++	++	+++	A
Botulism	++	+++	++	0	++	+++	A
Tularemia	++	++	++	0	+	+++	A
VHF^e	++	+++	+	+	+++	++	A
VE^f	++	+	+	0	++	++	B
Q Fever	+	+	++	0	+	++	B
Brucellosis	+	+	++	0	+	++	B
Glanders	++	+++	++	0	0	++	B
Melioidosis	+	+	++	0	0	++	B
Psittacosis	+	+	++	0	0	+	B
Ricin toxin	++	++	++	0	0	++	B
Typhus	+	+	++	0	0	+	B
Cholera^g	+	+	++	+/-	+++	+	B
Shigellosis^g	+	+	++	+	+	+	B

^aAgents were ranked from highest threat (+++) to lowest (0).
^bPotential for production and dissemination in quantities that would affect a large population, based on availability, BSL requirements, most effective route of infection, and environmental stability.
^cPerson-to-person transmissibility.
^dPneumonic plague.
^eViral hemorrhagic fevers due to Filoviruses (Ebola, Marburg) or Arenaviruses (e.g., Lassa, Machupo).
^fViral encephalitis.
^gExamples of food- and waterborne diseases.

Main Article

Footnote: Participants are listed in Acknowledgments.

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Emerging Infectious Disease ISSN: 1080-6059

Volume 8, Number 2—February 2002

Conference Summary

Public Health Assessment of Potential Biological Terrorism Agents

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