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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.