Glossary - Avian Influenza

• AAFC
  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• Asian Strain
  • Highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza.
• Biosecurity
  • Protecting the health of livestock by preventing the transmission of disease through physical barriers, and hygiene practices
• CBSA
  • Canada Border Services Agency
• CCWHC
  • Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre
• CFIA
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Comb
  • The fleshy crest or ridge that grows on the crown of the head of domestic fowl and other birds which is most prominent in the male.
• Commercial flocks
  • Supply managed poultry or specialty birds (ducks and geese) raised for food production.
• Culling
  • The depopulation of bird flocks
• Disease Containment
  • Any strategy used to stop the spread of a disease.
• FADES
  • Foreign Animal Disease Emergency Support. These are agreements between provinces and the federal government which determine roles and responsibilities during an animal disease outbreak of foreign origin.
• FAO
  • Food and Agriculture Organization; a United Nations organization, which leads international efforts to manage basic agricultural practices and control animal diseases.
• Flock
  • A group of birds that live exist in a common environment.
• Fowl
  • Any of various birds of the order Galliformes, including the common chicken.
• H5N1
  • A specific sub-type of the AI virus.
• Highly Pathogenic AI
  • Avian influenza marked by high morbidity (illness) and high mortality (death) in poultry.
• Import Controls
  • Government controls put in place to restrict the importation of certain items.
• Low Pathogenic
  • Avian influenza marked by low morbidity (illness) and low mortality (death).
• NCFAD
  • National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease
• Non-commercial Flocks
  • Poultry raised outside of the supply managed system.
• OIE
  • World Organisation for Animal Health; Organisation Mondiale de la Sante Animale.
• Pandemic
  • An epidemic of people, occurring over a wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people; a global epidemic.
• Pathogen
  • An agent that causes disease, especially a living microorganism such as a bacterium or fungus.
• PHAC
  • Public Health Agency of Canada
• PSEPC
  • Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada
• Quarantine
  • Isolation or restriction of free movement imposed to prevent the spread of contagious disease.
• Surge Capacity
  • Ability to obtain additional resources when needed during an emergency.
• Surveillance
  • In context of AI, the close observation and sampling of bird populations.
• USDA
  • United States Department of Agriculture
• Virulent
  • Extremely infectious, malignant, or poisonous.
• Waterfowl
  • Swimming game birds, such as ducks and geese, considered as a group.
• Wattle
  • A fleshy, wrinkled, often brightly colored fold of skin hanging from the neck or throat, characteristic of certain birds, such as chickens or turkeys, and some lizards.
• WHO
  • World Health Organization; a United Nations Organization, whose objective is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.