Epidemy vs. Epidemic

Epidemynoun

(medicine) An epidemic disease

Epidemynoun

An epidemic disease.

Epidemicnoun

A widespread disease that affects many individuals in a population.

Epidemicnoun

(epidemiology) An occurrence of a disease or disorder in a population at a frequency higher than that expected in a given time period.

Epidemicadjective

Like or having to do with an epidemic; widespread

Epidemicadjective

Common to, or affecting at the same time, a large number in a community; - applied to a disease which, spreading widely, attacks many persons at the same time; as, an epidemic disease; an epidemic catarrh, fever, etc. See Endemic.

Epidemicadjective

Spreading widely, or generally prevailing; affecting great numbers, as an epidemic does; as, epidemic rage; an epidemic evil.

Epidemicnoun

An epidemic disease.

Epidemicnoun

Anything which takes possession of the minds of people as an epidemic does of their bodies; as, an epidemic of terror.

Epidemicnoun

a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease; many people are infected at the same time

Epidemicadjective

(especially of medicine) of disease or anything resembling a disease; attacking or affecting many individuals in a community or a population simultaneously;

Epidemicnoun

a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time

Epidemicnoun

a sudden, widespread occurrence of an undesirable phenomenon

Epidemicadjective

of the nature of an epidemic

Epidemic

An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί epi and δῆμος demos ) is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infections, an attack rate in excess of 15 cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks is considered an epidemic.Epidemics of infectious disease are generally caused by several factors including a change in the ecology of the host population (e.g., increased stress or increase in the density of a vector species), a genetic change in the pathogen reservoir or the introduction of an emerging pathogen to a host population (by movement of pathogen or host).