High Consequence Pathogens Home
A High Consequence Pathogen (HCP) is any infectious disease that is an ongoing public health concern in industrialized and developing countries, causes severe illness or death, is primarily untreatable/ unpreventable, and may have endemic or pandemic potential and spread rapidly through a population within a short time. The most commonly thought of viruses are: Ebola, Marburg, Lassa Fever, Crimean-Kongo Hemorrhagic Fever, Rift Valley Fever, and Nipah. There are also many others.
These viruses can spread easily through secretions and blood and body fluids. Special care must be exercised when managing persons either exposed or infected by any of these viral hemorrhagic fever viruses.