PHEMCE Priority Threats
The PHEMCE will continue to address MCM needs to protect against high-priority threats. These may be determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security based on those deemed to pose a sufficient material threat affecting national security, or by PHEMCE leadership having the potential to threaten national health security. The PHEMCE high-priority threats are (in alphabetical order by threat area):
Biological Threats
- Bacillus anthracis (anthrax)* and multidrug resistant B. anthracis (MDR anthrax)*
- Burkholderia mallei (glanders)* and Burkholderia pseudomallei (melioidosis)*
- Clostridium botulinum toxin (botulism)*
- Ebolavirus (Ebola hemorrhagic fever)*
- Emerging infectious diseases#
- Francisella tularensis (tularemia)*
- Marburgvirus (Marburg hemorrhagic fever)*
- Pandemic influenza virus
- Rickettsia prowazekii (typhus)*
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV) (including SARS-CoV-1 and -2)*
- Variola virus (smallpox)*
- Yersinia pestis (plague)*
Chemical Threats
- Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor nerve agents*
- Chlorine
- Cyanide salts (potassium and sodium cyanide)*
- Hydrogen cyanide*
- Pharmaceutical based agents (including opioids)*
- Phosgene
- Vesicants*
Radiological and Nuclear* Threats
- Radiological and nuclear agents*
(*) Indicates an identified material threat under section 319F-2(c)(2)(A)(ii) of the Public Health Service Act.
(#) For emerging infectious disease threats, the PHEMCE prioritizes the below pathogen families or groups. Novel high consequence pathogens within these groups have the potential to emerge and result in a U.S. public health emergency requiring mobilization of Federal resources.
- Orthomyxoviridae
- Coronaviridae
- Paramyxoviridae
- Poxviridae
- Flaviviridae
- Filoviridae
- Togaviridae
- Arenaviridae
- Antimicrobial Resistant Pathogens