Public Health Emergencies

Public health emergencies can strike at any time. This section helps you learn how to plan, prepare and stay informed when you need it most.

Botulism

Botulism is a very serious muscle-paralyzing disease caused by a toxin made by a spore-forming bacterium called Clostridium botulinum.
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Ebola

Ebola is a rare and deadly disease. The disease is native to several African countries and is caused by infection with one of the ebolaviruses (Ebola, Sudan, Bundibugyo, or Taï Forest virus.
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Influenza Pandemic

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.
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Plague

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 (such as blood) or inhaling infectious respiratory droplets.
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Smallpox

Smallpox is a serious, contagious and sometimes fatal infectious disease.
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Zika

Zika virus is a disease that is transmitted primarily through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. 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. The top priority for the Zika response is to protect pregnant women because of the potential risks associated with Zika virus infection during pregnancy.
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