Glossary

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    Glossary 
Aquaculture establishment An establishment used for the culture and production of fish species. Establishments may be classified as open, semi-open, semi-closed or closed systems. Refer to the AQUAVETPLAN Enterprise Manual for further details.
AQUAVETPLAN Australian Aquatic Veterinary Emergency Plan. A series of technical response plans that describe the proposed Australian approach to an emergency aquatic animal disease incident. See also AUSVETPLAN
Australian Chief Veterinary Officer The nominated senior veterinarian in the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry who manages international animal health commitments and the  Australian Government’s response to an animal disease outbreak. See also Chief veterinary officer
AUSVETPLAN Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan. A series of technical response plans that describe the proposed Australian approach to an emergency animal disease incident. The documents provide guidance ased on sound analysis, linking policy, strategies, implementation, coordination and emergency-management plans.
Biofilter A structure through which water is circulated and containing a large surface area substrate on which bacteria suitable for the conversion of ammonia to nitrate are grown. Biofilters may be small compact units, as in small aquaria, or large towers, as seen in commercial hatcheries.
Cleaning The process of removing ‘soil’ from equipment, personnel and infrastructure.
Composting The aerobic breakdown of organic material by biological processes.
Control area A buffer between the restricted area and areas free of disease. Restrictions on this area will reduce the likelihood of the disease spreading further afield. As the extent of the outbreak is confirmed, the control area may reduce in size. The shape of the area may be modified according to circumstances, eg water flows, catchment limits etc. In most cases, permits will be required to move animals and specified product out of the control area into the free area.
Critical disease control point Any point within a process or area identified as being critical in limiting the spread of disease.
Dangerous contact premises or area A defined area that has had a direct, and possibly infectious, contact with an infected premises/area. The type of contact will depend on the agent involved in the outbreak but, for example, may involve animal movements or net/equipment movements.
Decontamination Includes all stages of cleaning and disinfection.
Destocking The process of removing some or all livestock from an aquaculture facility.
Destruction The killing by humane means (euthanasia) of infected fish and/or fish exposed to infection.
Diluent A neutral substance used to reduce the concentration of an active substance.
Disease agent A general term for a transmissible organism or other factor that causes an infectious disease.
Disinfectant A chemical used to destroy disease agents outside a living animal.
Disinfection The application, after thorough cleansing, of procedures intended to destroy the infectious or parasitic agents of animal diseases, including zoonoses; applies to premises, vehicles and other objects that may have been directly or indirectly contaminated.
Disposal Sanitary removal of carcases and other things by burial, burning or some other process so as to prevent the spread of disease.
Emergency disease event The detection of a significant exotic pathogen or outbreak of disease, considered of major significance, requiring immediate response and highest priority of resources.
Ensilage Anaerobic fermentation of organic waste through the addition of acetic acid resulting in significant lowing of the pH.
Enterprise See Risk enterprise
Fish Any aquatic animal, including finfish, molluscs and crustaceans.
Hard water Water containing high levels of mineral solutes.
Incubation period The period of time from infection to the first appearance of clinical disease. The period will differ depending on the disease involved.
Infected premises or area The area in which the disease has been confirmed. Definition of an ‘infected area’ is more likely to apply to an open system, such as an oceanic lease.
Intermediate host The host in which a parasite undergoes a stage in its development.
Livestock Any animal held under controlled conditions, may include fish.
Local disease control centre An emergency operations centre responsible for the command and control of field operations in a defined area.
Material safety data sheet A document outlining the characteristics and safety hazards associated with a particular chemical compound or product.
Monitoring Routine collection of data for assessing the health status of a population. See also Surveillance
Nidus A point of origin or focus of residual contamination potentially resulting in an outbreak of disease.
Movement control Restrictions placed on the movement of fish, people and other things to prevent the spread of disease.
Operational procedures Detailed instructions for carrying out specific disease control activities, such as disposal, destruction, decontamination and valuation.
Pigging The process of passing plugs or other structures through pipes in order to removed accumulations within pipes.
Polar circle A floating circular structure used to support net pens in finfish aquaculture production.
Premises or area A production site, which may range from an aquarium to an aquaculture lease in the open ocean.
Quarantine Legal restrictions that limit movement, imposed on a place, animals, vehicles, or other things.
Risk enterprise A defined livestock or related enterprise, which is potentially a major source of infection for many other premises. Includes hatcheries, aquaculture farms, processing plants, packing sheds, fish markets, tourist angling premises, veterinary laboratories, road and rail freight depots and garbage depots.
Sanitation A process of reducing the overall microflora load on a structure using washing or mild chemical agents.
Saprophytic The process describing organisms (ie bacteria or fungi) which live on dead or decaying organic matter.
Sentinal animals Susceptible animals, including fish, of known health status monitored for the purpose of detecting presence of a specific disease agent.
Slurry A suspension of solids in liquid, unusually animal manure.
Soil/soiling Any material — mineral or organic — that accumulates on equipment, personnel or within facilities.
Surveillance A systematic series of investigations of a given population of fish to detect the occurrence of disease for control purposes, and which may involve testing samples of a population.
Susceptible animal Animal that can be infected with a particular disease.
Vessel Any boat or floating structure.



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Last reviewed:
05 Nov 2009
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