Bacillus anthracis (anthrax)

Diagnosis

Gram positive, sporulating, facultative aerobe, blood agar plates

Transmission

not transmissable between humans; infectious dose not known

Incubation Period

12 to 48 days (not known)

Disease (If Untreated)

cutaneous (1 % fatality rate); inhalation (85 % fatality rate)

Symptoms

cutaneous, lesion with black center; inhalation: fever, chills, mediastinal widening

Treatment

antibiotics (cipro, doxycycline, penicillin); vaccine for military only

Variola major (smallpox)

Diagnosis

virus: clinical testing is performed in BSL-4 labs at CDC or USAMRIID.

Transmission

unique to humans; highly infectious

Incubation Period

7-12 days

Disease (If Untreated)

30% fatality rate

Symptoms

fever, chills, headache, backache, fatigue, rash, lesions

Treatment

supportive care, vaccine

Yersinia pestis (pneumonic plague)

Diagnosis

bacterium, Gram negative rods, slow-growing

Transmission

transmissable between humans

Incubation Period

1-3 days

Disease (If Untreated)

pneumonic plague, fatality rate 100%

Symptoms

fever, cough, chest pain

Treatment

antibiotics (doxycycline, cipro, gentamycin)

Francisella tularensis (tularemia)

Diagnosis

bacterium, Gram negative coccbacillus, difficult to culture

Transmission

not transmissable; infectious dose 1-10 organisms

Incubation Period

up to 21 days

Disease (If Untreated)

ulceroglandular: variable; pulmonary/typhoidal: 35%

Symptoms

ulcer; chills, fever, headache

Treatment

streptomycin, gentamycin

Viral hemorrhagic fevers

Diagnosis

viruses (Ebola, Marburg, dengue, Lassa, Rift Valley)

Transmission

transmissable between humans; spread by animals and insects

Incubation Period

3-21 days

Disease (If Untreated)

50-95% fatality rate

Symptoms

Treatment

supportive care (some vaccines, not widely available)

Equine encephalitis viruses (Venezuelan, Eastern, Western,etc.)

Diagnosis

CDC for identification

Transmission

possible between humans

Incubation Period

VEE: 2-6 days; EEE/WEE: 7-14 days

Disease (If Untreated)

EEE: 50-75%; VEE/WEE: <10%

Symptoms

influenza-like (chills, fever, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting); encephalitis

Treatment

supportive care