Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 May-Jun;123(3):276-81.
doi: 10.1177/003335490812300308.

Zoonoses likely to be used in bioterrorism

C Patrick Ryan  1
Affiliations

Zoonoses likely to be used in bioterrorism

C Patrick Ryan. Public Health Rep. 2008 May-Jun.

Abstract

Bioterrorism is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other agents used "to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants. Only modest microbiologic skills are needed to produce and effectively use biologic weapons. And biological warfare has afflicted campaigns throughout military history, at times playing an important role in determining their outcomes. There is a long list of potential pathogens for use by terrorists, but only a few are easy to prepare and disperse. Of the infectious diseases, the vast majority are zoonoses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's highest-priority bioterrorism agents are in Category A. The only disease that does not affect animals in Category A is smallpox, which was eliminated by a worldwide vaccination program in the late 1970s. Because these diseases can infect animals and humans, the medical and veterinary communities should work closely together in clinical, public health, and research settings.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

None
Dr. Edward Jenner (1749–1823) is famous as the pioneer of vaccination against smallpox.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Center for Law and the Public's Health at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins Universities. The Model State Emergency Health Powers Act. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US) 2001. [cited 2007 Dec 18]. Available from: URL: www.publichealthlaw.net/MSEHPA/MSEHPA2.pdf.
    1. Noah DL, Huebner KD, Darling RG, Waeckerle JF. The history and threat of biological warfare and terrorism. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2002;20:255–71. - PubMed
    1. Vorobyov A. Criterion rating as a measure of probable use of bio agents as biological weapons. Papers presented to the Working Group on Biological Weapons Control of the Committee on International Security and Arms Control; Washington: National Academy of Sciences; 1994.
    1. Franz DR, Jahrling PB, Friedlander AM, McClain DJ, Hoover DL, Bryne WR, et al. Clinical recognition and management of patients exposed to biological warfare agents. JAMA. 1997;278:399–411. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US) Bioterrorism agents/diseases. [cited 2007 Dec 18]. Available from: URL: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/agentlist-category.asp#b.

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources