Starting in the fall of 2007, a collaborative group of influenza researchers have established an influenza ontology. The influenza ontology is an application ontology. Consolidated influenza sequence and surveillance terms from resources such as the BioHealthBase (BHB), a Bioinformatics Resource Center (BRC) for Biodefense and Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, the Centers for Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS)