Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are diseases caused by groups of viruses such as the Ebola virus and Marburg virus. In general, infection with these viruses may cause serious illness with fever and damage to blood vessels affecting many organ systems. Damage to the blood vessels can disrupt blood flow and cause severe bleeding. Although some VHFs are mild illnesses, many can be fatal. Other VHFs include Lassa fever, yellow fever, Crimean-Congo and New World hemorrhagic fever viruses.

If you receive a bomb threat by phone, text message, note, email, IM, etc. treat it seriously; handle the threat as if there really is an explosive in the building. Every business/ place of employment should have a plan in place for this situation but here are a few tips in getting through it.

Gases (and no, not the kind that you laughed at when you were 8), liquids and/or solids are Chemical warfare agents that can poison people, animals and plants. Chemical warfare agents can cause injuries and death. How serious the injuries are depends on the type of chemical, the amount and the length of exposure.

“Dirty Bombs” are the most likely source of radiation exposure. A dirty bomb is not a bomb that just needs to be cleaned; a dirty bomb is a small explosive device packaged with radioactive materials. During any event that releases radiation, your best protection is to follow the recommendations of authorities. Here are a few tips to help:

Tularemia is an infection caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis that can affect animals and humans. It resembles the flu but is much more painful. About 200 cases of human tularemia are reported each year in the United States. Bites from infected ticks and the handling of infected rabbits are responsible for most tularemia cases in the United States. If tularemia were to be released intentionally, as in a bioterror event, the bacteria would most likely be released into the air to be breathed in.

Now, we don’t expect any of you to know this list by heart but having a good sense of knowing what to take notes on will help you give the best possible information to the authorities.