What is an Epidemic?

The word epidemic is taken from a Greek word that means “upon or above people”. An epidemic can be defined as “ the significant and often sudden increase in the number of cases of a specific infectious disease within a defined population or geographic area”. This increase surpasses all the expected numbers and previous records in a given time period. It is the rapid spread of an infectious disease within a large number of people in a given population in a very short duration.

Characteristics of an Epidemic are:

• Endemics are marked by the rapid and widespread spread of infection.
• Endemics are marked by an unusual increase in the number of cases as compared to the baseline or expected number of cases.
• Epidemics are characterized by a sudden spike in cases that occurs over a relatively short period.
• Epidemics are usually confined to specific geographic regions, communities, or populations.
• Epidemics can be triggered by a variety of factors including the introduction of new infectious agents, change in characteristics of a prevailing pathogen, lack of immunity in the host, etc.

Examples of Epidemic

Some of the most common examples of epidemics are;

1. COVID-19 infection
2. Ebola epidemic
3. H1N1 influenza
4. Cholera
5. Measles outbreak
6. Dengue fever
7. Malaria
8. Syphilis

Difference between epidemic and pandemic helps us to understand various aspects of the two terms used for epidemiology. The difference between epidemic and pandemic describes the spread of diseases, particularly infectious diseases, on a global scale. While both terms refer to the occurrence and spread of diseases, they differ in several key ways that are listed in the difference between epidemic and pandemic.