{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T02:35:25Z","timestamp":1787884525471,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,7]],"date-time":"2021-10-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1633564800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/terms"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["cambridge.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Prehosp. Disaster med."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>Category A agents are biological pathogens that could pose a threat to health and human safety if used as bioweapons. The exploration and possibility of these threats must be comprehensively reviewed to create a preparedness plan to recognize outbreaks, to educate the public, and to offer vaccinations and\/or treatment options, if available. A scoping review using PRISMA guidelines was performed to categorize current information on Category A biological agents as well as understand their potential for future threats. The results used 34 articles and found that while botulin neurotoxins were the most lethal, anthrax posed the most likely threat for use as a bioweapon. Most research was conducted on plague, though it is not the most likely threat. Smallpox is the most likely agent to vaccinate against as there is already a working vaccine that has proven effective and the issue at hand is the need for a larger stockpile. Ultimately, preparedness efforts should include vaccinations and continued research and development of them. Category A agents are a serious public health concern; updated and reformed bioterrorism preparedness plans could greatly minimize panic and mortality.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1017\/s1049023x21001072","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,7]],"date-time":"2021-10-07T07:36:43Z","timestamp":1633592203000},"page":"767-773","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/policypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["A Scoping Review on Category A Agents as Bioweapons"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"36","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6459-0535","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sarah L.","family":"Beale","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tara Rava","family":"Zolnikov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Casey Mace","family":"Firebaugh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/emi.2012.34"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4161\/hv.7.6.15398"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.285.21.2763"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4097\/kjae.2018.71.2.103"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.287.18.2391"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4161\/hv.10297"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.294.5544.985"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref34","unstructured":"34. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC calls on Americans to wear masks to prevent COVID-19 spread. https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/media\/releases\/2020\/p0714-americans-to-wear-masks.html. Accessed June 2021."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/CLEP.S43118"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref19","first-page":"489","article-title":"Botulinum toxin: bioweapon and magic drug","volume":"132","author":"Dhaked","year":"2010","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Medical Research."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref10","first-page":"123","article-title":"The PRISMA Group. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: the PRISMA statement","volume":"3","author":"Moher","year":"2009","journal-title":"Open Med."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.285.8.1059"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clinmicnews.2005.01.001"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref15","first-page":"13","article-title":"How to weaponize anthrax?","volume":"9","author":"Dizer","year":"2004","journal-title":"Eastern Journal of Medicine."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref18","unstructured":"18. Roos, R. Botulism. http:\/\/www.cidrap.umn.edu\/infectious-disease-topics\/botulism#overview&1-1. Accessed June 2021."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.283.17.2281"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref5","unstructured":"5. Wappes, J , Soucheray, S. Smallpox. http:\/\/www.cidrap.umn.edu\/infectious-disease-topics\/smallpox#overview&1-1. Accessed June 2021."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3201\/eid0810.020353"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref3","volume-title":"A Short History of Biological Warfare: From Pre-History to the 21st Century","author":"Carus","year":"2017"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref31","first-page":"417","article-title":"Preparedness for biological terrorism in the United States: Project BioShield and Beyond","volume":"105","author":"Dudley","year":"2005","journal-title":"J Am Osteopath Assoc."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref20","unstructured":"20. Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Plague. http:\/\/www.cidrap.umn.edu\/infectious-disease-topics\/plague#overview&1-3. Accessed June 2021."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/sj.embor.embor849"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref30","unstructured":"30. Schnirring, L. DRC Ebola total grows by 15; new antiviral clears hurdle. https:\/\/www.cidrap.umn.edu\/news-perspective\/2019\/03\/drc-ebola-total-grows-15-new-antiviral-clears-hurdle. Accessed September 2020."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3201\/eid2002.130687"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(18)30298-6"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref23","article-title":"Smallpox: historical review of a potential bioterrorist tool","volume":"6","author":"Bourzac","year":"2002","journal-title":"Journal of Young Investigators."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref14","unstructured":"14. Soucheray, S. Anthrax. http:\/\/www.cidrap.umn.edu\/infectious-disease-topics\/anthrax#overview&1-1. Accessed June 2021."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref16","unstructured":"16. US Food and Drug Administration. Vaccines - Anthrax. https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/biologicsbloodvaccines\/vaccines\/ucm061751.htm. Accessed June 2021."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1586\/14787210.2015.986463"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1469-0691.2002.00497.x"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/08998280.2004.11928002"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1089\/bsp.2013.0038"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref28","unstructured":"28. Soucheray, S , Schnirring, L. VHF. http:\/\/www.cidrap.umn.edu\/infectious-disease-topics\/vhf. Accessed June 2021."},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/INTV.INTV_4_18"},{"key":"S1049023X21001072_ref1","unstructured":"1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Bioterrorism Agents\/Diseases (by category). Emergency Preparedness & Response. https:\/\/emergency.cdc.gov\/agent\/agentlist-category.asp#a. Accessed June 2021."}],"container-title":["Prehospital and Disaster Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S1049023X21001072","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,21]],"date-time":"2022-01-21T14:32:20Z","timestamp":1642775540000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S1049023X21001072\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,7]]},"references-count":35,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,12]]}},"alternative-id":["S1049023X21001072"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/s1049023x21001072","relation":{},"ISSN":["1049-023X","1945-1938"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1049-023X","type":"print"},{"value":"1945-1938","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,7]]},"assertion":[{"value":"\u00a9 The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}}]}}