2006-08-14 22:08:22 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
An epidemic is a disease that affects many people at the same time, such as the flu. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's official definition of epidemic is: 'The occurrence of more cases of disease than expected in a given area or among a specific group of people over a particular period of time'. A pandemic is a very extensive epidemic, like a plague, that is prevalent in a country, continent, or the world. There is also the word endemic, which is a disease native to a people or region, which is regularly or constantly found among a people or specific region. The term outbreak describes the sudden rise in the incidence of a disease, especially a harmful one. An outbreak is characterized by a disease's bypassing of measures to control it. Often, the difference between these terms is determined by the percentage of deaths caused by the disease
2006-08-14 22:12:46 · answer #1 · answered by Tim C 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An epidemic is an unusually high incidence of a disease in a specified region. A pandemic is an epidemic that has reached global proportions, like the AIDS crisis.
2006-08-15 05:12:03 · answer #2 · answered by Paul H 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The difference is the area of the world affected.
An epidemic is typically tied to large geographical region but definitely smaller than a pandemic in which a disease has spread to multiple countries world-wide.
2006-08-15 05:14:15 · answer #3 · answered by slynx000 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Pandemic is worldwide spread of a disease like AIDS, epidemic is limited to a region or country.
2006-08-15 05:12:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A pandemic (from Greek pan all + demos people) is an epidemic (an outbreak of an infectious disease) that spreads worldwide, or at least across a large region.
2006-08-15 05:12:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
an epidemic is an outbreak of disease in a focalized population
a pandemic is a disease that sweeps the globe, like the Black Death in the Middle ages or the Spanish Flu in 1918.
2006-08-15 10:52:46 · answer #6 · answered by trinity729 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Pandemic (adj )
1. medicine.
Describing a widespread epidemic of a disease, one that affects a whole country, continent, etc.
Epidemic (noun)
1. A sudden outbreak of infectious disease which spreads rapidly and affects a large number of people, animals or plants in a particular area for a limited period of time.
2. A sudden and extensive spread of anything undesirable.
Thesaurus: plague, rash, spread, wave, outbreak, upsurge, growth.
Epidemic (adj)
1. Referring to or like an epidemic, sometimes also used to describe a non-infectious condition such as malnutrition.
2006-08-15 05:12:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Epidemic: when for example the flu is spread from city to city . Pandemic: when a disease for example is pread nation wide.
2006-08-15 13:41:10 · answer #8 · answered by LANEY 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
An epidemic is localised. A pandemic is worldwide.
2006-08-15 05:35:06 · answer #9 · answered by los 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
epidemic - a rapid spread of disease on an area,
pandemic - spread of disease on a global scale
2006-08-15 05:16:21 · answer #10 · answered by harry 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋