Emergency Preparedness

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Joseph Floyd
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1 Emergency Preparedness EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ACADEMY RESPONSE GLOSSARY OF TERMS Adjuvant: A substance added to a vaccine to improve the immune response so that less vaccine is needed to provide protection. All hazard: Grouping classification encompassing all conditions, environmental or man-made, that have the potential to cause injury, illness, or death; damage to or loss of equipment, infrastructure services or, property; or alternately causing functional degradation to societal, economic, or environmental aspects. Antibody: A protein produced by the body's immune system in response to a foreign substance (antigen). Our bodies fight off an infection by producing antibodies. An antibody reacts specifically with the antigen that triggered its formation and its function is to inactivate the antigen. Antigen: Any foreign substance, usually a protein that stimulates the body's immune system to produce antibodies. (The name antigen reflects its role in stimulating an immune response - antibody generating.) Antiviral: Drug that is used to prevent or cure a disease caused by a virus, by interfering with the ability of the virus to multiply in number or spread from cell to cell. APHIS: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides leadership in ensuring the health and care of animals and plants. Asset: Tangible or intangible items owned or employed by the federal government which would have probable economic benefits that can be obtained or controlled by the federal government entity in support of its mission and the continuity of its operations. April 2008, Updated 4/1/2013 1

2 Asymptomatic: Presenting no symptoms of disease. Biological: relating to life, living organisms, or the materials derived from them. Biosecurity: is the policies and measures taken to protect from biological harm. It encompasses the prevention and mitigation from diseases, pests, and bioterrorism, of the following areas: economy, environment and public health which includes food and water supply, agricultural resources and production, pollution management, blood and blood products. Bioterrorism: The use of, or threatened use of, biological agents, such as manmade or natural disease pathogens, for terrorist purposes. Carrier: A bearer and transmitter of a agent capable of causing infectious disease. An asymptomatic carrier shows no symptoms of carrying an infectious agent. CARVER: A Food Defense Assessment tool which uses the following six areas to assess vulnerability criticality, accessibility, recuperability, vulnerability, effect, and recognizability. Contagious: A contagious disease is easily spread from one person to another by contact with the infectious agent that causes the disease. The agent may be in droplets of liquid particles made by coughing or sneezing, contaminated food utensils, water or food. Drift: One process in which influenza virus undergoes mutation. The amount of change can be subtle or dramatic, but eventually as drift occurs, a new variant strain will become dominant. This process allows influenza viruses to change and re-infect people repeatedly throughout their lifetime and is the reason influenza virus strains in vaccine must be updated each year. See definition of shift on page 6. Emergency management: The coordination and integration of all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capabilities to prepare for, respond to, recover from, or mitigate against threatened or actual disasters or emergencies, regardless of cause. Emergency Management Agency: The agency at the local/state level which handles the disaster response. Enzyme: A substance that speeds up chemical reaction. Every chemical reaction in living organisms is facilitated by an enzyme. April 2008, Updated 4/1/2013 2

3 Emergency Medical Assistance Compact: A written Memorandum of Understanding (Compact) between states or regions which outlines the sharing of personnel and resources during an emergency incident. Epidemic: A disease occurring suddenly in a community, region or country in numbers clearly in excess of normal. See definition of pandemic on page 6. Event: Planned, non-emergency activity occurring in particular place during a particular interval of time. First responder: Designation for a person who, in the course of their professional duties of responding to emergencies, and in the early stages of an incident, is responsible for the protection and preservation of life, property, evidence, the environment, and for meeting basic human needs. Food-borne illness (Food-borne disease): Any illness resulting from the consumption of food. Food-borne illness can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food. Such contamination usually arises from improper handling, preparation, or food storage. Food-borne illness can also be caused by a large variety of toxins that affect the environment such as the presence of pesticides or medicines in food, or by unintentionally consuming naturally toxic substances like poisonous mushrooms. Food defense: The prevention of intentional contamination of the food supply using chemicals, biological agents and/or other harmful substances. Food safety: Ensuring a safe food supply. Food security: Ensuring food accessibility and sufficiency. Fusion center: A physical or logical facility, encompassing all necessary infrastructure required to facilitate nationwide information-sharing between one or more federal, state, and/or local law enforcement entities, dedicated to the integration of multiple diverse data sources within a defined functional domain. Homeland security: A concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur. Homologous: Similar in position, structure, function, or characteristics. Host: An organism on or in which a parasite lives. April 2008, Updated 4/1/2013 3

4 Immune system: The cells, tissues and organs that help the body to resist infection and disease by producing antibodies and/or altered cells that inhibit the multiplication of the infectious agent. Incident: An occurrence, caused by either human action or natural phenomena that require action to prevent or minimize loss of life or damage to property and/or natural resources. Incident management: The management and coordination of prevention, protection, and emergency management activities associated with a specific threat, or an actual occurrence. Infectious agent: Any organism, such as a pathogenic virus, parasite, or bacterium, that is capable of invading body tissues, multiplying, and causing disease. Influenza: A serious disease caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract. Interoperability: Ability of systems, personnel, and equipment to provide and receive functionality, data, information and/or services to and from other systems, personnel, and equipment, between both public and private agencies, departments, and other organizations, in a manner enabling them to operate effectively together. Isolate: A pure strain that has been isolated as from diseased tissue, contaminated water, or the air. Intervention: Planning what to do when something occurs. MRC: The Medical Reserve Corps establishes teams of local volunteer medical and public health professionals who can contribute their skills and expertise throughout the year and during times of community need. Major disaster: Any natural catastrophe (including hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought), or regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Act to supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby. Major event: A planned, non-emergency activity that draws national attention. April 2008, Updated 4/1/2013 4

5 Man-made disaster: A human-caused incident resulting in severe property damage, deaths, and/or multiple injuries. Mitigation: Ongoing and sustained action to reduce the probability of, or lessen the impact of an adverse incident. Mutation: Any alteration in a gene from its natural state. This change may be disease causing or a benign, normal variant. Specific mutations and evolution in influenza viruses cannot be predicted, making it difficult if not impossible to know if or when a virus such as H5N1 might acquire the properties needed to spread easily among humans. National security: A comprehensive program of integrated policies and procedures for the departments, agencies, and functions of the United States Government aimed at protecting the territory, population, infrastructure, institutions, values, and global interests of the nation. NVPO: National Vaccine Program Office is responsible for coordinating and ensuring collaboration among the many federal agencies involved in vaccine and immunization activities. It is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Pandemic: The worldwide outbreak of a disease in numbers clearly in excess of normal. See definition of epidemic on page 2. Parasite: An organism living in, with, or on another organism. Pathogenic: Causing disease or capable of doing so. Preparedness: Activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve readiness capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from natural or man-made incidents. Prevention: Actions taken and measures put in place for the continual assessment and readiness of necessary action to reduce risk of threats and vulnerabilities, to intervene and stop an occurrence, or to mitigate effects. Private sector: Individuals, and entities, including for-profit and non-profit, which are not part of any government. Prophylactic: A medical procedure or practice that prevents or protects against a disease or condition (e.g., vaccines, antibiotics, drugs). Quarantine: Prohibition or restriction on travel or passage, imposed to keep contagious diseases, or harmful chemicals/biologicals from spreading. April 2008, Updated 4/1/2013 5

6 Radiological: Emitting radiant energy in the form of particles or rays, as alpha, beta, and gamma rays, by the spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei. Readiness: Condition of being prepared and capable to act or respond as required. Reassortment: The rearrangement of genes from two distinct influenza strains to produce a novel viral strain. Refugee: Status granted to an individual prior to departure for and arrival in the United States that has been determined by competent authority to be fleeing persecution or have a well-founded fear of persecution in their own country because of race, religion, nationality, membership in particular social group or political opinion. Regionalism: A principle or system of defining a geographic area consisting of all or parts of 2 or more contiguous countries, states, counties, municipalities, or other local governmental jurisdictions or tribal entities for pooled resources or mutual-aid agreements; is also common within the collaboration of private-sector operation. Resilience: The ability to recover from, or adjust to, adversity or change. Risk management: A process of measuring or assessing the vulnerability to hazards, threats, or dangers, and subsequent development of strategies to minimize the overall levels of each. Seasonal flu: A respiratory illness that can be transmitted person to person. Most people have some immunity, and a vaccine is available. This is also known as the common flu or winter flu. Secure: To gain possession of and/or to ensure protection from unauthorized use, harm, loss or risk. Shelter-in-place: Taking emergency refuge within the nearest designated safe area until notification or determination that the situation has been resolved. Shift: The process in which the existing H (hemagglutinin) and N (neuraminidase) are replaced by significantly different H and Ns. These new H or H/N combinations are perceived by human immune systems as new, so most people do not have preexisting antibody protection to these novel viruses. This is one of the reasons that pandemic viruses can have such a serve impact on the health of populations. See definition of drift on page 2. April 2008, Updated 4/1/2013 6

7 Species: A class of plants or animals having common attributes and designated by a common name. Theoretically, plants or animals of different species cannot interbreed. However, occasionally this does not hold true. Strain: A group of organisms within a species or variety. Strategy: Statement for a course of action or actions to be taken in order to achieve objective(s). Surveillance: Systematic observation or monitoring of areas, places, persons, or things. Sustain: To support, supply, and maintain the necessary level and duration of activity to achieve a given objective. System: A combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications integrated into a common organizational structure to achieve a single mission or outcome. Targeting: Process of establishing various parameters to identify particular types of products, individuals, groups of people, or other entities for a specific purpose. Terrorism: Premeditated threat or act of violence, against noncombatant persons, property, environmental, or economic targets, to induce fear or to intimidate, coerce or affect a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political, social, ideological, or religious objectives. Threat: Any entity, action, or occurrence, whether natural or man-made, that has or indicates the potential to pose violence or danger to life, information, operations and/or property. Tiering: System of organization utilizing ranked levels to sort information or things. USAID: United States Agency for International Development provides foreign assistance to developing countries in order to further America's foreign policy interests in expanding democracy and free markets while improving the lives of the citizens of the developing world. USDA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, the government agency responsible for regulating the safety and development of food, agriculture, and natural resources. Vaccine: A preparation consisting of antigens of a disease-causing organism which, when introduced into the body, stimulates the production of specific antibodies or altered cells. This produces an immunity to the disease-causing organism. The April 2008, Updated 4/1/2013 7

8 antigen in the preparation can be whole disease-causing organisms (killed or weakened) or parts of these organisms. Virulent: Highly lethal; causing severe illness or death. Virus: Any of various simple submicroscopic parasites of plants, animals, and bacteria that often cause disease and that consist essentially of a core of RNA or DNA surrounded by a protein coat. Unable to replicate without a host cell, viruses are typically not considered living organisms. Vulnerability: Weakness, condition or quality of being open to exploitation, or exposed to natural or man-made threats, harm or attack. Waterfowl: Birds that swim and live near water, including ducks, geese, and swans. Weapons of mass destruction: A weapon capable of high order of destruction and/or of being used in such a manner as to destroy large numbers of people or an amount of property. WHO: World Health Organization, an agency of the United Nations established in 1948 to further international cooperation in improving health conditions. Zoonoses: Diseases that are transferable from animals to humans. April 2008, Updated 4/1/2013 8

Acute respiratory illness This is a disease that typically affects the airways in the nose and throat (the upper respiratory tract).

Acute respiratory illness This is a disease that typically affects the airways in the nose and throat (the upper respiratory tract). Influenza glossary Adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US https://www.cdc.gov/flu/glossary/index.htm and the World Health Organization http://www.wpro.who.int/emerging_diseases/glossary_rev_sept28.pdf?ua=1