Question:
Which of the following is a Category A bioterrorism agent?
Which of the following is a Category A bioterrorism agent?
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Recall the highest-risk tier: the one with smallpox, plague and the viral haemorrhagic fevers.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Chikungunya
- Anthrax
- Hendra
- Influenza
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Answer: Anthrax.
Step 1: The CDC sorts bioterrorism agents into three tiers. Category A holds the highest-priority agents: easy to disseminate or transmit, high mortality, major public-health impact, and needing special preparedness.
Step 2: Category A includes anthrax, botulism, plague, smallpox, tularaemia and the viral haemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, Marburg, Lassa, Hantavirus). So anthrax fits perfectly.
Step 3: The distractors sit in lower tiers. Chikungunya is Category B (moderately easy to spread, lower mortality). Hendra and highly pathogenic influenza are Category C (emerging threats that could be engineered).
Ref: Jawetz Medical Microbiology, 27e, p. 417.
Step 1: The CDC sorts bioterrorism agents into three tiers. Category A holds the highest-priority agents: easy to disseminate or transmit, high mortality, major public-health impact, and needing special preparedness.
Step 2: Category A includes anthrax, botulism, plague, smallpox, tularaemia and the viral haemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, Marburg, Lassa, Hantavirus). So anthrax fits perfectly.
Step 3: The distractors sit in lower tiers. Chikungunya is Category B (moderately easy to spread, lower mortality). Hendra and highly pathogenic influenza are Category C (emerging threats that could be engineered).
Ref: Jawetz Medical Microbiology, 27e, p. 417.
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