Disease Cluster

Disease Cluster

(1) Two or more cases of a relatively uncommon event or disease related in time and/or place perceived to be greater than expected by chance
(2) An unusual aggregation, real or perceived, of health events that are grouped together in time and space, which is reported to a public health department

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disease

traditionally defined as a finite abnormality of structure or function with an identifiable pathological or clinicopathological basis, and with a recognizable syndrome or constellation of clinical signs.

This definition has long since been widened to embrace subclinical diseases in which there is no tangible clinical syndrome but which are identifiable by chemical, hematological, biophysical, microbiological or immunological means. The definition is used even more widely to include failure to produce at expected levels in the presence of normal levels of nutritional supply and environmental quality. It is to be expected that the detection of residues of disqualifying chemicals in foods of animal origin will also come to be included within the scope of disease.

For specific diseases see under the specific name, e.g. Aujeszsky's disease, Bang's disease, foot-and-mouth disease.

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air-borne disease

the causative agent is transmitted via the air without the need for intervention by other medium. See also wind-borne disease.

disease carrier

see carrier, vector.

clinical disease

see clinical (3).

disease cluster

a group of animals with the same disease occurs at an unusual level of prevalence for the population as a whole. The cluster may be in space, with high concentrations in particular localities, or in time, with high concentrations in particular seasons or in particular years.

communicable disease

infectious disease in which the causative agents may pass or be carried from one animal to another directly or indirectly on inanimate objects or via vectors.

complicating disease

one that occurs in the course of some other disease as a complication.

constitutional disease

one involving a system of organs or one with widespread signs.

contagious disease

see communicable disease (above).

disease control

reducing the prevalence of a disease in a population, including eradication, by chemical, pharmaceutical, quarantine, management including culling, or other means or combinations of means.

disease control programs

organized routines specifying agents, administration, time and personnel allocations, community support, funding, participation of corporate or government agencies, animal and animal product disposal.

deficiency disease

a condition due to dietary or metabolic deficiency, including all diseases caused by an insufficient supply of essential nutrients.

degenerative joint disease

see degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis.

demyelinating disease

any condition characterized by destruction of myelin.

disease determinant

any variable associated with a disease which, if removed or altered, results in a change in the incidence of the disease.

egg-borne disease

an infectious disease of birds in which the agent is spread via the egg.

endemic disease

see endemic.

environmental disease control

control by changing the environment, e.g. draining a swamp, ventilating a barn.

epidemic disease

see epidemic.

etiological disease classification

diseases arranged in the order of their etiological agents, e.g. bacterial, mycoplasma.

exotic disease

a disease that does not occur in the subject country. Said of infectious diseases that may be introduced, e.g. rabies is exotic to the UK, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia is exotic to the USA.

focal disease

a localized disease.

fulminant disease

an explosive outbreak in a group or a rapidly developing, peracute development of a disease in an individual. Called also fulminating.

functional disease

any disease involving body functions but not associated with detectable organic lesion or change.

generalized disease

one involving all or many body systems; often said of infectious diseases in which there is spread via the bloodstream. See also systemic disease (below).

glycogen disease

any of a group of genetically determined disorders of glycogen metabolism, marked by abnormal storage of glycogen in the body tissues. See also glycogen storage disease.

heavy chain disease

see heavy-chain disease.

hemolytic disease of newborn

see alloimmune hemolytic anemia of the newborn.

hemorrhagic disease of newborn

see neonatal hemorrhagic disease.

disease history

that part of a patient's history which relates only to the disease from which the patient is suffering.

holoendemic disease

most animals in the population are affected.

hyperendemic disease

the rate of infection is steady but high.

hypoendemic disease

the rate of infection is steady and only a few animals are infected.

immune complex disease

see immune complex disease.

infectious disease

one caused by small living organisms including viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and metazoan parasites. It may be contagious in origin, result from nosocomial infections or be due to endogenous microflora of the nose and throat, skin or bowel. See also communicable disease (above).

manifestational disease classification

diseases arranged in the order of their clinical signs, epidemiological characteristics, necropsy lesions, e.g. sudden death diseases.

mesoendemic disease

the disease occurs at an even rate and a moderate proportion of animals are infected.

metabolic disease

see metabolic diseases.

molecular disease

any disease in which the pathogenesis can be traced to a single, precise chemical alteration, usually of a protein, which is either abnormal in structure or present in reduced amounts. The corresponding defect in the DNA coding for the protein may also be known.

multicausal disease

1. a number of causative agents are needed to combine to cause the disease.

2. the same disease can be caused by a number of different agents.

multifactorial disease

see multicausal disease (above).

new disease

disease not previously recorded. May be variants on an existing disease, e.g. infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, or escapes from other species, e.g. the Marburg virus disease of humans.

notifiable disease

a disease of which any occurrence is required by law to be notified to government authorities.

organic disease

see organic disease.

pandemic disease

a very widespread epidemic involving several countries or an entire continent.

quarantinable disease

a disease which the law requires to be restricted in its spread by putting the affected animals, farms or properties on which it occurs in quarantine.

reportable disease

see notifiable disease (above).

disease reservoir

any animal or fomite in which an infectious disease agent is preserved in a viable state or multiplies and upon which it may depend for survival.

secondary disease

1. a disease subsequent to or a consequence of another disease or condition.

2. a condition due to introduction of incompatible, immunologically competent cells into a host rendered incapable of rejecting them by heavy exposure to ionizing radiation.

self-limited disease

see self-limited.

sex-limited disease

disease limited in its occurrence to one or other sex. See also sex-linked.

sexually transmitted disease (STD)

a disease that can be acquired by sexual intercourse.

slaughter disease control

see slaughter (2).

sporadic disease

occurring singly and haphazardly; widely scattered; not epidemic or endemic. See also sporadic bovine encephalomyelitis, sporadic leukosis, sporadic lymphangitis.

storage disease

see storage disease.

disease syndrome

see syndrome.

systemic disease

sufficiently widespread in the body to cause clinical signs referable to any organ or system, and in which localization of infection may occur in any organ.

disease triangle

interaction between the host, the disease agent, and the environment.

disease wastage

loss of income generated by production of milk, eggs, fiber, or loss of capital value because of diminution in the patient's value.

wasting disease

any disease marked especially by progressive emaciation and weakness.

zoonotic disease

disease capable of spread from animals to humans. See also zoonosis.