A public health emergency is any adverse event (natural or man-made) that compromises the health of the population and has the potential to cause widespread illness, such as:

• Illness amongst the public that can occur naturally, (such as influenza, aka the flu), or is man-made, (such as and intentional release of weaponized virus or bacteria)
• Illness amongst the public that may cause a larger number of deaths and/or serious disabilities
• Illness due to a hard to control infectious agent, (such as flu)
• Illness due to a chemical attack on the public, (such as cyanide gas)
• Illness due to release of nuclear material, (such as radiology materials used in hospitals)
• Other illnesses of health hazards that can severely impact the health of the public, whether resulting from natural hazards (tornadoes, floods, etc.) or emerging infectious diseases.