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Glossary/Acronyms

5 D's	Symptoms of plant disease. Symptoms that could signal the presence of an FPD: Discolored, Deformed, Defoliated, Dying, Deficient.
Agribusiness	The process of intensified agriculture, usually implies large aggregations of animals.
Agrosecurity	The use of all possible means and procedures to guard against deliberate or incidental harm to an agricultural or food facility.
Agroterrorism	The intentional use of any CBRNE weapon (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive) against the nation’s agricultural and food industries with the intent of destroying these resources and causing serious economic harm to the nation.
Anthrax	A bacterial disease that can cause severe illness and death in many species of animals and humans.
APHIS	Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the regulatory agency of the USDA.
APR	Air-Purifying Respirator, a form of Personal Protective Equipment.
APS	American Phytopathological Society, the world's largest organization of plant pathology and plant health specialists.
Asymmetric Warfare	A tactic to exploit an adversary's vulnerabilities through unexpected technologies or innovative means.
Bacteria	Microscopic single-celled organisms. Pathogenic bacteria cause illness or death.
Beagle Brigade	Detector dogs trained to sniff out contraband agricultural products.
BSE	Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as Mad Cow Disease.
BUDDIES	Symptoms of animal disease, that may indicate an FAD: Blisters, Unusual ticks or maggots, Deaths or downers, Diarrhea, Illness, Eating abnormally, Staggering.
Buffer radius	An area which encircles a disease outbreak and prevents it from spreading.
CART	County Animal Response Team, or Country Agricultural Response Team.
CBRNE	Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive agents.
CDC	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CJD	Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, the human form of TSE, in which prions replicate inside the brain and spinal cord, causing holes to grow through the brain like a sponge.
Contagious disease	Diseases which can be transmitted directly from one infected animal or plant to another.
CSREES	Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, a branch of USDA.
DHHS	The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Disaster	A large-scale, cross-boundary incident causing significant human and economic loss requiring a greater level of response.
Disease Triangle	The 3 components which must be present for an FPD to spread: a pathogen, favorable conditions, susceptible plant or crop.
Disease	A disruption of normal physiology, usually causing a negative effect on survival or fitness.
EMAC	Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual aid partnership among several states to share resources in an emergency.
Emergency Management	A management strategy which is always based on these four phases: Mitigation/Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. All teams working within EM are organized and coordinated using the NIMS.
Emergency Support Functions (ESFs)	The 15 ESFs organized under the National Response Plan designate responsibilities of all federal agencies in an emergency.
Emergency	A small, localized incident which can be managed using local resources.
EPA	Environmental Protection Agency.
FAD	Foreign animal disease, animal disease not normally found in the U.S.
FADD	Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostician, a veterinarian who has received specialized training in the recognition and diagnosis of foreign animal diseases.
FBI	Federal Bureau of Investigation.
FDA	The Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
FEMA	Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of Department of Homeland Security.
First responder	An individual who provides immediate support services for the protection and reservation of life, property, evidence, and the environment.
Fomite	A contaminated object which transmits pathogens.
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)	One of the most serious foreign animal diseases, caused by a virus, leading to blisters in the mouth and on the feet of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and many species of wildlife.
FPD	Foreign Plant Diseases are transmissible plant diseases not normally found in the United States.
FRMAC	Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center.
FSIS	The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA.
Fungus/Fungi	Organisms (sometimes pathogenic) of loosely connected cells which live on dead or decaying organic matter.
GIS	Geographic Information System, a computerized mapping application.
Host resistance	Usually refers to the development of a new plant which has been created with decreased susceptibility to a particular pathogen.
Host	Any infected plant or animal.
HSPD	Homeland Security Presidential Directive; these directives enact into law a full range of measures to combat disasters, emergencies, and threats of terrorism against our nation, including threats of agroterrorism.
IAP	Incident Action Plan, used within ICS.
ICS	The Incident Command System, a management system to organize groups and individuals who are responding to a disaster. ICS always works under five major sections: Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and, Finance/Administration.
Incubation period	The time between exposure to an infectious disease and the period when symptoms appear.
Insect vector	Insects that transmit disease.
Mad Cow Disease	Common name for BSE.
NAHLN	The National Animal Health Laboratory Network, a network of USDA specified state animal health laboratories that can help in diagnosis of foreign animal diseases.
NIMS	The National Incident Management System, a standardized method for all government, private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work together in combating emergencies, disasters, and incidents of all types. NIMS uses the ICS.
National Response Plan	A federal plan which uses NIMS to respond to domestic incidents.
NPDN	National Plant Diagnostics Network, a USDA-designated group of state laboratories specializing in plant health.
National Veterinary Services Laboratories	Animal health diagnostic laboratories, administered by USDA APHIS.
OIE	Office of International Epizootics, which is now referred to as the World Organization for Animal Health.
Parasites	Lifeforms such as tapeworms, roundworms, ticks, lice, mites, etc. which infect a host animal or plant for nourishment and life.
Pathogen	Disease-causing agent.
PPE	Personal Protective Equipment.
PPQ	Plant Protection and Quarantine, a division of APHIS, which also is the federal response agency for FPDs.
Prions	Protein particles which cause specific kinds of brain disease (such as Mad Cow Disease).
Protozoa	Single-celled complete organisms (sometimes pathogenic).
Ring vaccination	A method of vaccinating disease-free animals in a zone encircling diseased animals to prevent an FAD from spreading across the zone.
Risk Assessment	A method used to evaluate the likelihood of an adverse outcome in a given situation.
SARS	Severe acute respiratory syndrome.
SART	State Animal Response Team, or State Agricultural Response Team.
SCBA	Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, a form of Personal Protective Equipment.
SEMA	State Emergency Management Agency.
SERT	State Emergency Response Team.
TSE	Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies, the overall category name for diseases such as BSE and CJD.
USDA	The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is charged with providing the nation with safe and affordable food.
Vector	A living organism, including humans, which transmits disease from one organism to another.
Virus	A strand of genetic material (DNA or RNA) contained in a tiny capsule of protein.
VMAT	Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams established by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
VOAD/NVOAD	(National) Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster.
VS	Veterinary Services is the animal health branch of APHIS, which is part of USDA.
WMD	Weapons of Mass Destruction.
YOYO Period	The time immediately after a disease outbreak when "You're On Your Own" before major state or federal government help arrives.
Zoonoses/Zoonotic	The ability of some pathogens to infect both animals and humans.

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[ This page was last updated on Friday, July 22, 2005. ]