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Disease outbreak. In epidemiology, an outbreak is a sudden increase in occurrences of a disease when cases are in excess of normal expectancy for the location or season. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire continent. The number of cases varies according to the disease-causing agent, and ...
Outbreaks are urgent emergencies accompanied by rapid efforts to save lives and prevent further cases. Photo credit: WHO A disease outbreak is the occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would normally be expected in a defined community, geographical area or season. Outbreaks are maintained by infectious agents that spread directly ...
Occasionally the cause of an outbreak is unknown, even after thorough investigation. Communicable disease outbreaks Environmental factors influencing the spread of communicable diseases. Water, sanitation, food and air quality are vital elements in the transmission of communicable diseases and in the spread of diseases prone to cause epidemics.
- What Is An Epidemic?
- What Is A Pandemic?
- What Does Endemic Mean?
- What Are The Differences Between Pandemics and Epidemics?
- Causes of Disease Outbreaks
- Notable Past Pandemics
- The Way Out
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)(link is external and opens in a new window)describes an epidemic as an unexpected increase in the number of disease cases in a specific geographical area. Yellow fever, smallpox, measles, and polio are prime examples of epidemics. An epidemic disease doesn't necessarily have to be contagious. Wes...
The World Health Organization (WHO)(link is external and opens in a new window)declares a pandemic when a disease’s growth is exponential. This means the growth rate skyrockets, and each day cases grow more than the day prior. In being declared a pandemic, the virus has nothing to do with virology, population immunity, or disease severity. It means...
A disease outbreak is endemic when it is consistently present but limited to a particular region. This makes the disease spread and rates predictable. Malaria, for example, is considered endemic in certain countries and regions.
The WHO defines pandemics, epidemics, and endemic diseases based on a disease's rate of spread. Thus, the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic isn't in the severity of the disease, but the degree to which it has spread. A pandemic cuts across international boundaries, as opposed to regional epidemics. This wide geographical reach is what m...
Several factors contribute to the outbreak of infectious diseases. Contraction can occur as a result of transmission from people, animals, or even the environment. For example: 1. Weather conditions.(link is external and opens in a new window)For example, whooping cough occurs in spring, whereas measles tends to appear in the winter season. 2. Expo...
The current COVID-19 outbreak is not the only disease to have impacted the world on a global scale. Here are just a few examples of past pandemics that have shaped the evolution of outbreaks and human immunity: The Black Death (1346 - 1353):(link is external and opens in a new window)The Black Death caused an estimated death of 25 million people ac...
A common attribute of epidemics and pandemics is the need to take preventive care of infection. Typically, there is a large time lag between an outbreak and when vaccinations can be distributed, as we have seen with COVID-19. In the meantime, it’s crucial to take the following steps to stay healthy: 1. Wash your hands often with soap and water. Mak...
Mar 9, 2020 · Epidemic. Bigger and spreading. An epidemic is an outbreak over a larger geographic area. When people in places outside of Wuhan began testing positive for infection with SARS-CoV-2 (which causes ...
Mar 9, 2020 · Small, but unusual. By tracking diseases over time and geography, epidemiologists learn to predict how many cases of an illness should normally happen within a defined period of time, place and ...
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Apr 18, 2022 · A pandemic is a disease outbreak that spreads across countries or continents. It affects more people and takes more lives than an epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 to ...
