Chapter 16 : Biological and agents of concern

ABSTRACT

This chapter is designed to be an introduction to biological agents of concern, that is, a group of highly pathogenic bacteria and viruses with the potencial to cause significant public health impact in terms of morbidity and mortality, as well as social disruption and public panic, particulary when deployed as biological weapon. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a hierarchical classication system for biological agents, ranking specific agents in Categories. A, B, and C, where Category A agents are the most virulent and pose the greatest public health threat. This chapter provides detailed descriptions of the Category A agents with special attention to epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis, treatment, and nursing care issues (AU)