Glossary

Droplets of less than 5 micrometres in diameter suspended in still air. Given their small size, they can lodge deep within the respiratory tract, including the alveolar region. These droplets are small enough to remain airborne sufficiently long to transmit a pathogen. [9]

A protein produced by the body's immune system when it detects harmful substances, called antigens. [16]

Any substance that causes the immune system to produce antibodies against it. [15]

The ability of microbes to grow in the presence of substances specifically designed to kill them; for example, some human infections are now resistant to antibiotics, raising concerns about their widespread use. [6]

Also known as “phages”, are viruses that infect and replicate only in bacterial cells. [14]

Biological vectors, such as mosquitoes and ticks, may carry pathogens that can multiply within their bodies and be delivered to new hosts, usually by biting. [57]

A set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases in crops and livestock, quarantined pests, invasive alien species, and living modified organisms. [4]

Subgroup based on biochemical characteristics. [33]

A slowly multiplying cell form (‘dormant’ stage) that is found in the cells of the tissues of warm-blooded vertebrates, in the life cycle of certain Apicomplexans, such as Toxoplasma gondii. [45]

The number of deaths from a specified cause during a given period over the number of diagnosed cases of that disease during the same period × 100; e.g., 10 deaths from measles among 5000 cases is a CFR of (10/5000) × 100 = 0.2%. [18]

Colony Forming Unit count is the standard method of counting the number of living microorganisms contained in a liquid capable of growth on a specific medium. This very versatile method is the standard technique to measure the number of living bacteria for example in water or milk to insure their safety. [20]

An evolutionary lineage defined by cladistic analysis. A clade is monophyletic (it has only one ancestor) and is genetically isolated (which means that it evolves independently from other clades). [55]

Any infection acquired in the community, that is, contrasted with those acquired in a health care facility. [61]

A medical problem that occurs during a disease, or after a procedure or treatment. The complication may be caused by the disease, procedure, or treatment or unrelated to them.

A bacterial toxin that kills host cells or alters their functions. [11]

A host that does generally not allow transmission to the definite host, thereby preventing the parasite from completing its development. [26]

A host that harbours sexually mature stages of a parasite. [25]

The detection of pathogenic bacteria is essential to prevent and treat infections and to provide food security. Among current gold-standard detection techniques, there are culture-based assays and polymerase chain reaction. [22]

One DALY represents the loss of the equivalent of one year of full health. [24]

In medicine, describes a disease that is constantly present in a certain geographic area or in a certain group of people. [27]

The microbial enumeration test is a basic, simple method designed to count the number of CFU in a nonsterile product or raw material. [21]

A disease that is persistently found in an animal population. [10]

An inanimate object that is capable of carrying disease-causing agents and transmitting them to a new host. [7]

Means a criterion defining the acceptability of a product or a batch of foodstuff applicable to products placed on the market. [5] 

The entire amount of genetic material found in the cells of living organisms. [6]

The genetic constitution of an organism as assessed by a molecular method. [1] 

A recognised way of categorising closely related species of organisms. The genus is the first part of the Latin name of a species; for example, Homo Sapiens (human being) is part of the genus Homo. [6]

Conjugated protein-carbohydrate compounds. [35]

A hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) is a system that identifies, evaluates and controls hazards to food safety. It is implemented by food businesses to ensure safe production, storage and transport of food. [6]

Living animal or plant on or in which a parasite lives. [17]

A protein that is made by B cells and plasma cells (types of white blood cells) and helps the body fight infection. [37]

The period of time between harmful bacteria or viruses entering a person's or animal's body, or entering a plant, and the effects of a disease appearing. [36]

A host that harbours sexually immature, developing stages of a parasite. [28]

Lagomorphs are a mammalian order which includes rabbits, hares and pikas. They are distributed throughout the world and are of both scientific and public interest as they are classified between endangered and pest species. [58]

Mechanical vectors such as flies can pick up infectious agents on the outside of their bodies and transmit them through physical contact. [59]

The larval stage of the tapeworm, usually under the form of fluid full-filled, spherical cysts with multiple invaginated protoscolisces. [29]

Means a criterion defining the acceptability of a product, a batch of foodstuffs or a process, based on the absence, presence or number of micro-organisms, and/or on the quantity of their toxins/metabolites, per unit(s) of mass, volume, area or batch. [5]

A diverse group of conditions that are mainly prevalent in tropical areas, where they thrive among people living in impoverished communities. They are caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins, and are responsible for devastating health, social and economic consequences. [30]

Having an affinity for nerve tissue, tending to attack the nervous system preferentially. [38]

Is defined as a microorganism that requires oxygen for its growth and survival. [60]

Organism that can live and reproduce only inside host cells. [51]

Strategy based on the selection of a random sample from a population on which the data are reported. [23]

A hardy, thick-walled stage of the life cycle of coccidian parasites. This is the stage that is shed in the faeces of definitive hosts infected with parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii. [43]

Local, initially small-scale, cluster of disease generally caused by an increased frequency of infection in a specific population (may be caused by single epidemic strains or combinations of different strains). [1]

Number of outbreaks per 100,000 population. The outbreak reporting rate and the case reporting rates (number of cases per 100,000 population) are used as relative measures of occurrence in the population. [19]

Burning, itching, tingling, or prickling sensation that is usually felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet. [39]

The biological ability to cause disease. [1]

A population of a parasite species in which all individuals have a stated pathosystem character (pathogenicity or parasitic ability) in common. [13]

A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a scale where a value of 7 is neutral, lower numbers indicate increasing acidity and higher numbers increasing alkalinity. [1]

The existence of irregular and variant forms in the same species or strain of microorganism. [52]

Period between infection with a parasite and the production of eggs by a female parasite; equivalent to the incubation period of microbial infections but biologically different because the parasite is going through developmental stages in the host. [31]

The proportion of a population found to have a condition. [6]

Means a criterion indicating the acceptable functioning of the production process. Such a criterion is not applicable to products placed on the market. It sets an indicative contamination value above which corrective actions are required in order to maintain the hygiene of the process in compliance with food law. [5]

An attempt to prevent disease. [40]

Parasite microscopic larvae contained inside echinococcus cysts and capable of developing into adult worms in the final host’s intestines or into secondary hydatid cysts in the intermediate host’s viscera. [32]

One-celled animals found worldwide in most habitats. [46]

Bacteria that can grow at temperatures equal to or lower than 7°C, independently from the optimal growth temperature. [34]

An animal that is infected by a parasite or disease agent, and serves as a source of infection for another species. [7]

Inflammation of the retina and the choroid. [47]

Viruses with RNA as genetic material that may be a single-stranded RNA or a double-stranded RNA. [41]

A subdivision of a species distinguishable from other strains on the basis of antigenic characteristics. [2]

A group of micro-organisms containing common antigens and including more than one serovar. [2]

An antigenic property of a cell (bacteria, RBC, etc) or virus identified by serological methods. [12]

The production of new organisms by the combination of genetic information of two individuals of different sexes. [48]

A subdivision of the genus, a species is a group of closely related and similar-looking organisms; for example, in the case of Homo sapiens (humans), the second part of the name (sapiens) represents the species. [6]

Species is also the basic taxonomic category of bacteria; a named group below the genus level whose members show a high degree of overall similarity as compared with other, more distantly related, strains. There is currently no universally accepted species definition in the context of bacteriology, despite many attempts. [1]

Spillover occurs when epidemics in a host population are driven not by transmission within that population but by transmission from a reservoir population. A pathogen typically reaches high prevalence in a reservoir and then spills over into the other host. [8]

Rare, occurring at unpatterned irregular moments and localities, disconnected in space and time; the opposite of epidemic and endemic. [1]

A spore is a cell that certain fungi, plants (moss, ferns) and bacteria produce. Certain bacteria make spores as a defence mechanism. Spores have thick walls. They can resist high temperatures, humidity and other environmental conditions. [53]

The structure (infective unit) that develops within an oocyst that, when freed from the oocyst after ingestion by a suitable host, penetrates the intestinal wall initiating infection. [50]

The process by which immature (non-infective) coccidian oocysts develop into the mature, infective form. [49]

A subtype of a microbe defined by its genetic make-up; for example, in the case of Escherichia coli O157, the 'O157' part of the name refers to the strain. [6]

A strain is also defined as the descendants of a single isolation in a pure culture, usually derived from a single initial colony on a solid growth medium. A strain may be considered as an isolate or group of isolates that can be distinguished from other isolates of the same genus and species by phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Cultures of a particular microorganism, isolated at the same time from multiple body sites on a patient and indistinguishable by typing, also represent a single strain. [1]

A wild animal or plant that has adapted to living in proximity to human beings and presumably benefits from their association with human activity. [56]

Any of certain parasitic protozoa during the stage in their life cycle when they multiply rapidly. [44]

Valvulopathies are diseases that affect one or more valves of the heart, preventing them from either opening or closing properly, which influences the proper functioning of the heart. [54] 

Viral proteins that are components of a mature assembled virus. [42]

The degree or ability of a disease-causing organism (e.g., a bacterium, virus or parasite) to cause disease. [6]

In a food, is the amount of unbound water available for microbial growth and chemical reactions. The water activity is a value between 0 and 1. A value of 0 means there is absolutely no available water, this is very rare in food. A value of 1 means all water in the product is available, which is pure water. Most foods hover within a range of 0.2 and 0.99 for water activity. [3]

A zoonotic disease or zoonosis is a disease caused by agents that spread between animals and people. [6]

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