Which combination is listed as zoonotic diseases from CDC's Bioterrorism Category A agents list?

Which combination is listed as zoonotic diseases from CDC's Bioterrorism Category A agents list?

• A. Anthrax, Botulism, and Plague
• B. Smallpox, Tularemia, and Brucellosis
• C. Q Fever, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and Nipah virus
• D. Ricin, Botulism, and Smallpox

Answer: (A)

Category A agents are the highest-priority bioterrorism threats and include several zoonotic diseases—those that can move between animals and humans. Among the listed items, anthrax and plague are textbook zoonotic diseases that appear on the Category A list. Botulism, while included in Category A as a toxin (botulinum toxin), is not a disease that spreads from animals to humans, so it doesn’t fit the zoonosis idea as cleanly. The question asks for zoonotic diseases from that list, so the combination that best matches is the one containing the two well-known zoonotic Category A diseases. The other options mix diseases that aren’t zoonotic or aren’t Category A agents (or mix in toxins), which is why they don’t fit as well.

Category A agents are the highest-priority bioterrorism threats and include several zoonotic diseases—those that can move between animals and humans. Among the listed items, anthrax and plague are textbook zoonotic diseases that appear on the Category A list. Botulism, while included in Category A as a toxin (botulinum toxin), is not a disease that spreads from animals to humans, so it doesn’t fit the zoonosis idea as cleanly. The question asks for zoonotic diseases from that list, so the combination that best matches is the one containing the two well-known zoonotic Category A diseases. The other options mix diseases that aren’t zoonotic or aren’t Category A agents (or mix in toxins), which is why they don’t fit as well.