a chemotherapeutic agent that inhibits or destroys malarial parasites.

a drug for killing microorganisms or suppressing their multiplication or growth. For the purposes of this report, antimicrobials include antibiotics and antivirals.

substance that stops or suppresses the activity of a retrovirus such as HIV.

drugs, including interferon, that stimulate cellular defenses against viruses, reducing cell DNA synthesis and making cells more resistant to viral genes, enhancing cellular immune responses or suppressing their replication.

shortened form of arthropod-borne virus. Any of a group of viruses that are transmitted to humans and animals by mosquitoes, ticks, and sand flies; they include such agents as yellow fever and eastern, western, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus.

any group of viruses composed of pleomorphic virions of varying size, one large and one small segment of single-stranded RNA, and ribosomes within the virions that cause the virus to have a sandy appearance. Examples are Junin, Machupo, and Lassa fever viruses. Rodents are common reservoirs of the arenaviruses.

as used in this report, refers to insects and ticks, many of which are medically important as vectors of infectious diseases.

capable of being transmitted by insect and tick (arthropod) vectors.

one of two general categories of lymphocytes (white blood cells) involved in the humoral immune response. When help is provided by T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes produce antibodies against specific antigens.

rod-shaped bacterium.

refers to the presence of bacteria in the blood.

one of the two major classes of prokaryotic organism.

an active portion of an antibiotic (e.g., penicillin or cephalosporin) that is part of the chemical structure of the antibiotic and that can be neutralized by a beta-lactamase produced by certain microorganisms (e.g., some staphylococci).

an enzyme that neutralizes the effect of an antibiotic containing beta-lactam.

terrorism using biological agents. Biological diseases and the agents that might be used for terrorism have been labeled by the CDC and comprise viruses, bacteria, rickettsiae, fungi, and biological toxins. These agents have been classified according to the degree of danger each agent is felt to pose into one of three categories.