ACVPM BOARD STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS) | GRADED A+ | 2026 UPDATE
Concentrated Animal Feeding Unit (CAFO) - ANSWERS USDA definition of
CAFO: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation
intensive Animal Feeding Operation (AFO) in which over 1000 animal units are
confined for over 45 days a year.
Animal unit: equivalent to 1000 pounds of "live" animal weight.
A thousand animal units equates to:
1000 cows
700 cows used for dairy purposes
2500 pigs weighing more than 55 lbs
125,000 chickens
82,000 egg laying hens or pullets
Brevetoxin - ANSWERS A group of similar neurotoxic compounds which are
tasteless and odorless. Although toxicity can result from inhalational, dermal, or
oral exposure, the most common route of exposure is by oral ingestion of
contaminated shellfish. Illness from oral ingestion is characterized by a
combination of gastrointestinal and neurologic signs and symptoms.
Gastrointestinal symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Neurologic signs and symptoms include paresthesias, reversal of hot and cold
temperature sensation, vertigo, and ataxia. Inhalational exposure may cause
respiratory symptoms such as cough, dyspnea and bronchospasm. This type of
toxin can also cause illness in aquatic wildlife.
,domoic acid - ANSWERS Potent neurotoxin produced by harmful algal blooms
of marine phytoplankton Pseudo-nitzschia.
Kainic acid-type neurotoxin (activates glutamate receptors) that causes amnesic
shellfish poisoning (ASP), produced by algae and accumulates in shellfish,
sardines, and anchovies.
acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) - ANSWERS whiteleg shrimp
Penaeus vannamei in Texas
pirA and pirB toxin genes identical to those detected in other AHPND-causing
Vibrio sp. / V. parahaemolyticus
Marburg virus - ANSWERS Hemorrhagic filovirus endemic to central/south
Africa, reservoir is Egyptian fruit bat (rousettus aegyptiacus), humans often
exposed within caves.
January 2020: discovered in Sierra Leone, 1st in W Africa, more widely distributed
than prev understood
viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus IVb (VHSV IVb) - ANSWERS fish deaths,
great lakes
Micropolyspora faeni and Termoactinomyces vulgaris - ANSWERS Bacteria
commonly assoc w Farmers Lung (also aspergillus mold)
African Swine Fever (ASF) - ANSWERS large DNA virus of the Asfarviridae
family
infects ticks of the genus Ornithodoros, other bloodsucking insects may be able to
transmit mechanically.
, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis - ANSWERS Amphibian Chytrid Fungus,
Chytridiomycosis, tx itraconazole
Category A bioterrorism agents - ANSWERS Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)
Botulism (Clostridium botulinum toxin)
Plague (Yersinia pestis)
Smallpox (variola major)
Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
Viral hemorrhagic fevers, includingFiloviruses (Ebola, Marburg)Arenaviruses
(Lassa, Machupo)
Category A Bio terrorism Agents - ANSWERS can be easily disseminated or
transmitted from person to person;
result in high mortality rates and have the potential for major public health
impact;
might cause public panic and social disruption; and
require special action for public health preparedness.
Category B bioterrorism agents - ANSWERS are moderately easy to
disseminate;
result in moderate morbidity rates and low mortality rates; and
require specific enhancements of CDC's diagnostic capacity and enhanced disease
surveillance.
Category B bioterrorism agents - ANSWERS Brucellosis (Brucella species)
AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS) | GRADED A+ | 2026 UPDATE
Concentrated Animal Feeding Unit (CAFO) - ANSWERS USDA definition of
CAFO: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation
intensive Animal Feeding Operation (AFO) in which over 1000 animal units are
confined for over 45 days a year.
Animal unit: equivalent to 1000 pounds of "live" animal weight.
A thousand animal units equates to:
1000 cows
700 cows used for dairy purposes
2500 pigs weighing more than 55 lbs
125,000 chickens
82,000 egg laying hens or pullets
Brevetoxin - ANSWERS A group of similar neurotoxic compounds which are
tasteless and odorless. Although toxicity can result from inhalational, dermal, or
oral exposure, the most common route of exposure is by oral ingestion of
contaminated shellfish. Illness from oral ingestion is characterized by a
combination of gastrointestinal and neurologic signs and symptoms.
Gastrointestinal symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Neurologic signs and symptoms include paresthesias, reversal of hot and cold
temperature sensation, vertigo, and ataxia. Inhalational exposure may cause
respiratory symptoms such as cough, dyspnea and bronchospasm. This type of
toxin can also cause illness in aquatic wildlife.
,domoic acid - ANSWERS Potent neurotoxin produced by harmful algal blooms
of marine phytoplankton Pseudo-nitzschia.
Kainic acid-type neurotoxin (activates glutamate receptors) that causes amnesic
shellfish poisoning (ASP), produced by algae and accumulates in shellfish,
sardines, and anchovies.
acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) - ANSWERS whiteleg shrimp
Penaeus vannamei in Texas
pirA and pirB toxin genes identical to those detected in other AHPND-causing
Vibrio sp. / V. parahaemolyticus
Marburg virus - ANSWERS Hemorrhagic filovirus endemic to central/south
Africa, reservoir is Egyptian fruit bat (rousettus aegyptiacus), humans often
exposed within caves.
January 2020: discovered in Sierra Leone, 1st in W Africa, more widely distributed
than prev understood
viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus IVb (VHSV IVb) - ANSWERS fish deaths,
great lakes
Micropolyspora faeni and Termoactinomyces vulgaris - ANSWERS Bacteria
commonly assoc w Farmers Lung (also aspergillus mold)
African Swine Fever (ASF) - ANSWERS large DNA virus of the Asfarviridae
family
infects ticks of the genus Ornithodoros, other bloodsucking insects may be able to
transmit mechanically.
, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis - ANSWERS Amphibian Chytrid Fungus,
Chytridiomycosis, tx itraconazole
Category A bioterrorism agents - ANSWERS Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)
Botulism (Clostridium botulinum toxin)
Plague (Yersinia pestis)
Smallpox (variola major)
Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
Viral hemorrhagic fevers, includingFiloviruses (Ebola, Marburg)Arenaviruses
(Lassa, Machupo)
Category A Bio terrorism Agents - ANSWERS can be easily disseminated or
transmitted from person to person;
result in high mortality rates and have the potential for major public health
impact;
might cause public panic and social disruption; and
require special action for public health preparedness.
Category B bioterrorism agents - ANSWERS are moderately easy to
disseminate;
result in moderate morbidity rates and low mortality rates; and
require specific enhancements of CDC's diagnostic capacity and enhanced disease
surveillance.
Category B bioterrorism agents - ANSWERS Brucellosis (Brucella species)
