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The CDC has three categories for classifying biological agents. From highest to lowest priority, what are the categories?

A) Category A, Category B, Category C
B) Category C, Category B, Category A
C) Category B, Category C, Category A
D) Category A, Category C, Category B

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The CDC has three categories for classifying biological agents: Category A, Category B, Category C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The CDC classifies biological agents into three categories based on their priority level from highest to lowest. These categories are:

  1. Category A: These are considered the highest priority agents as they pose a severe threat to public health and can be easily transmitted from person to person. Examples of Category A agents include anthrax, smallpox, and Ebola.
  2. Category B: These agents are the second-highest priority and have moderate potential to cause harm to public health. They are moderately easily transmitted and may require specific public health response. Examples of Category B agents include Q fever, brucellosis, and typhus.
  3. Category C: These agents are considered the lowest priority as they have the potential to emerge as a threat to public health in the future. They don't currently pose a severe threat, but they have the potential to be engineered for mass dissemination. Examples of Category C agents include emerging influenza strains and Nipah virus.

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