Fact Sheets List

	1918 Influenza A (H1N1) Fact Sheet The "Spanish" flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919 caused the deaths of 20-50 million people worldwide including up to 675,000 in the U.S. While only about 1% of those infected with the virus died, it became one of the deadliest viruses ever known to man.

	Anthrax Fact Sheet Anthrax is a serious disease caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis.

	Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Fact Sheet Avian influenza virus, strain H5N1, is the latest flu virus with the potential to trigger a pandemic outbreak of flu due to its high lethality in birds and humans.

	Botulinum Toxin Fact Sheet Botulism is a rare paralytic disease caused by botulinum neurotoxin (BT), a protein produced by the soil bacteria Clostridium botulinum.

	Cyanide Fact Sheet Cyanide at its deadliest, is a colorless gas with a bitter almond odor detectable by certain people.

	Ebola Fact Sheet Ebola is one of 18 viruses that cause viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) in humans and other primates.

	Plague Fact Sheet Plague is a zoonotic disease caused by the gram-negative bacteria Yersinia pestis.

	Ricin Fact Sheet Ricin is a potent toxin that could be used as an agent of biological warfare or bioterrorism.

	Salmonella Fact Sheet Salmonella is a large group of bacteria that infects humans and many animals.

	Sarin Fact Sheet Sarin is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, human-made chemical warfare agent.

	Smallpox Fact Sheet Smallpox is caused by the double-stranded DNA orthopoxviruses Variola major and Variola minor.

	Thomas C. Butler Dr. Thomas C. Butler, a preeminent authority on infectious diseases at Texas Tech University, was charged in early 2003 with allegedly smuggling samples of plague bacteria into the United States, improperly transporting them within the country, and lying about them to authorities.

	Tularemia Fact Sheet Tularemia is also known as "rabbit fever" and "deerfly fever" and is caused by infection with the bacteria Francisella tularensis, found throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

	White Phosphorus Fact Sheet Elemental phosphorus was first extracted from urine in 1669 by the German alchemist Hennig Brandt.