| Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming
bacterium bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in hoofed mammals but can also infect
humans. Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but usually occur within seven
days after exposure. More information:
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| Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum.
Botulism does not spread from person to person. Symptoms usually
develop 12-36 hours after eating or breathing in the toxin. More
information:
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| Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by Brucella
bacteria. These bacteria are primarily passed among animals, including
livestock, wild game and even dogs but can also affect humans.
Brucellosis has an incubation period of five to 60 days and symptoms
can include: fever, sweats, headaches, back pain, physical weakness.
Severe infections of the central nervous systems or lining of the heart
may occur. Brucellosis can also cause long-lasting or chronic symptoms
that include recurrent fevers, joint pain, and fatigue. More
information:
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| Plague is an infectious disease that affects animals and humans.
It is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. This bacterium is found in rodents and their
fleas and occurs in many areas of the world, including the United States.
Pneumonic plague is contagious and can be spread from person to person.
Bubonic plague is not contagious and is not spread from person to person.
Bubonic plague can be transmitted by the bite of infected fleas or through breaks in the skin.
More information:
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Smallpox is a serious, contagious,
and sometimes fatal infectious disease. There is no specific treatment
for smallpox, and the only prevention is vaccination. Generally, direct
and fairly prolonged face-to-face contact is required to spread
smallpox from one person to another. Smallpox also can be spread
through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated
objects such as bedding or clothing. A person becomes most contagious
with the onset of rash.
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| Tularemia is an infectious disease caused by a hardy bacterium, Francisella tularensis,
that is found in animals (especially rodents, rabbits, and hares).
Typically, persons become infected through the bites of arthropods
(most commonly, ticks and deerflies) by handling infected animal
carcasses, by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, or by
inhaling infected aerosols. Tularemia is highly infectious: a small
number of bacteria (10-50 organisms) can cause disease. People have not
been known to transmit the infection to others, so infected persons do
not need to be isolated. More information:
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| Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) refer
to a group of illnesses that are caused by several distinct families of
viruses. In general, the term "viral hemorrhagic fever" is used to
describe a severe viral illness characterized by a high fever, bleeding
problems, and death from failure of multiple organs of the body. While
some types of hemorrhagic fever viruses can cause relatively mild
illnesses, many cause severe, life-threatening diseases. More
information:
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| Ricin is a poison made from the waste, left over from processing castor beans.
It can be in the form of a powder, a mist, a pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid.
It is a stable substance. Very hot or very cold temperatures will not affect ricin. More Information:
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Sarin is a man-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent. Nerve agents are the most toxic and rapidly acting of the known chemical warfare agents.
More information
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Sulfur mustard is a type of chemical warfare agent that cause blistering of the skin and mucous membranes on contact.
Sulfur mustard is also known as “mustard gas or mustard agent,” or by the military designations H, HD, and HT.
Sulfur mustard sometimes smells like garlic, onions, or mustard and sometimes has no odor.
It can be a vapor (the gaseous form of a liquid), an oily-textured liquid, or a solid.
Sulfur mustard can be clear to yellow or brown when it is in liquid or solid form. More information:
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| VX is a man-made chemical classified
as a nerve agent. Nerve agents are the most toxic and rapidly acting of
the known chemical warfare agents. VX is odorless and tasteless. It is
not found naturally in the environment. Its only known use for VX is as
a chemical warfare agent.
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Radiation is a form of energy tha
can comes from natural sources like the sun and uranium in the soil,
and also from man-made sources such as x-ray machines, televisions, and
microwave ovens. Exposure to very large doses of radiation may cause
death within a few days or months. Exposure to lower doses of radiation
may lead to an increased risk of developing cancer or other adverse
health effects many years in the future. More information :
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