Veterinary Public Health Flashcards

Flashcards with vocabulary terms and definitions about Veterinary Public Health.

Veterinary Public Health

A branch of public health that focuses on how veterinary medical science can protect and improve the physical, mental and social wellbeing of humans.

State Veterinary Medicine (SVM)

The practice of veterinary medicine by a government agency, responsible for animal health and welfare.

Veterinary Inspector

A vet directly employed by the government (DEFRA).

Official Veterinarian (OV)

A private practice veterinarian who performs work on behalf of the UK government, in particular APHA.

Notifiable Disease

Any disease named under the Animal Health Act 1981, or an order made under the act.

Animal Health Act 1981

A UK act of Parliament that consolidates and amends existing laws related to animal health to regulate the prevention, control and eradication of animal diseases.

Reportable disease

A disease that must be reported to the district health board or APHA once confirmed by a laboratory, generally for surveillance purposes.

World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)

The international body responsible for animal health, welfare and trade.

World Trade Organisation (WTO)

They regulate and facilitate the trade of animal products and by-products between member states.

World Health Organisation (WHO)

The branch of the UN responsible for international public health.

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

A branch of the UN responsible for food security.

Codex Alimentarius

A collection of internationally recognised standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other recommendations published by FAO.

Food and Veterinary Office (FVO)

A European Commission entity that checks compliance with EU food safety and quality, animal health and welfare, and plant health legislation.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

A scientific agency of the European Union (EU) that provides independent scientific advice and communicates on existing and emerging risks associated with the food chain.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

An agency of the European Union (EU) whose mission is to strengthen Europe's defences against infectious diseases.

Food Standards Agency (FSA)

A non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for protecting public health in relation to food in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Department for Environmental, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

A government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA)

An executive agency within DEFRA with the main task to protect the health and welfare of animals, as well as the general public, from disease.

Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)

An executive agency within DEFRA which provides licences for all the veterinary drugs we use within the UK.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

An agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that protects the health and value of America’s agricultural and natural resources.

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

An agency of the USDA that aims to enhance public health and well-being of America’s citizens by protecting the public from foodborne illness and ensuring that the nation's meat, poultry and egg products are safe, wholesome, and correctly packaged.

One Health

This is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems.

Emerging infectious diseases

Diseases which are newly recognised in a population or have existed but are suddenly rapidly increasing in incidence of geographical range.

Zoonotic Disease

Infectious diseases which are transmitted between animals and humans.

Reverse Zoonosis

When a disease originating in animals is passed on to humans.

Reservoir

Any population or environment within which an infectious agent can live and spread.

Spillover

Transmission of an infectious agent from a reservoir population to a naive population.

Carrier

An individual which is harbouring an infectious agent, and is therefore a potential source of infection, without showing signs of clinical disease.

Infectivity

The ability of a pathogen to establish an infection, by entering a host, surviving and multiplying.

Reproduction number (R0)

This a mathematical term that indicates how many people one person with the disease would be expected to infect.

Hazard

Something that is potentially harmful.

Risk

The probability of a harmful event occurring as a result of a hazard.

Biosecurity

Measures taken to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious agents.

Food security

According to the UN Committee on World Food Security, food security means that all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Occurs when microbes develop ways of resisting the drugs that are used against them.

Vaccination

Vaccination is the injection of an antigen to stimulate an immune response without causing disease, to prevent the animal from infection if it comes into subsequent contact with the pathogen.