Botulism is a very serious muscle-paralyzing disease caused by a toxin made by a spore-forming bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. Read more…
Public health emergencies can occur at any time. This section helps you learn how to plan, prepare and stay informed before an outbreak.
Ebola is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the five Ebola virus strains found in several African countries. Read more…
An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population. The virus begins to cause serious illness and then spreads easily person-to-person worldwide. Read more…
Plague is a disease caused by Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis), a bacterium found in rodents and their fleas. People normally become infected through the bite of infected fleas, and although rare, other cases can occur by direct contact with infectious body fluids. Read more…
Smallpox is a serious, contagious and sometimes fatal infectious disease. Read more…
Zika virus is a disease that is transmitted primarily through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictusmosquitoes. Outbreaks of the Zika virus are ongoing in Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, Mexico and Puerto Rico. No local mosquito-borne Zika virus disease cases have been reported in the United States, but there have been travel-associated cases. There also are confirmed cases of sexual transmission of Zika from males to their partners. Read more…