epidemic
Contagion sweeping through
An epidemic is a widespread occurrence of disease in a community or region during a particular period, affecting many people at once.
When diseases spread across multiple countries or continents, they become pandemics rather than epidemics.
The word extends beyond medicine to describe any rapid spread or sudden increase: an epidemic of violence, the opioid epidemic.
As an adjective, epidemic describes something spreading rapidly and extensively: Fear had reached epidemic proportions.
Sudden eruption of trouble
- transmissionSending of information
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- surgeSudden powerful increase
- waveOscillating motion through medium
proliferation · flare-up · hotspot · epicenter · cluster · super-spreader · incubation · carrier
Spreading quickly online
- contagiousTransmissible between people
- spreadingExtending over space
- infectiousAble to spread disease
- rampantFlourishing beyond control
sweeping · plague · scourge · wave · outbreak · wildfire · explosion · proliferation
Isolation preventing disease transmission
- lockdownEnforced restriction on movement
- isolationComplete separation from others
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
- vaccinationAdministered immunity booster
immunization · contact tracing · surveillance · screening · testing · social distancing · mask mandate · travel ban
Rate of occurrence
- prevalenceState of being widespread
- morbidityDisease occurrence rate
- mortalityState of eventual death
- etiologyScience of disease origins
pathogen · virulence · case fatality rate · herd immunity · attack rate · biostatistics · outbreak investigation
Deadly epidemic disease
- choleraBacterial disease causing fatal dehydration
- typhoidSalmonella-caused systemic infection
- smallpoxDeadly pustular viral infection
- measlesContagious viral rash illness
polio · influenza · malaria · tuberculosis · yellow fever · dengue · HIV · AIDS
Serious sudden danger
- catastropheDevastating, large-scale misfortune
- overwhelmDefeat by excess
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
- rationingLimiting distribution during scarcity
collapse · fatality · death toll · mass graves · panic · fear · PPE shortage · ventilator
outbreak
Sudden eruption of trouble
- transmissionSending of information
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- surgeSudden powerful increase
wave · proliferation · flare-up · hotspot · epicenter · cluster · super-spreader · incubation · carrier · vector
viral
Spreading quickly online
- contagiousTransmissible between people
- spreadingExtending over space
- infectiousAble to spread disease
rampant · sweeping · plague · scourge · wave · outbreak · wildfire · explosion · proliferation · infestation
quarantine
Isolation preventing disease transmission
- lockdownEnforced restriction on movement
- isolationComplete separation from others
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
vaccination · immunization · contact tracing · surveillance · screening · testing · social distancing · mask mandate · travel ban · curfew
incidence
Rate of occurrence
- prevalenceState of being widespread
- morbidityDisease occurrence rate
- mortalityState of eventual death
etiology · pathogen · virulence · case fatality rate · herd immunity · attack rate · biostatistics · outbreak investigation
plague
Deadly epidemic disease
- choleraBacterial disease causing fatal dehydration
- typhoidSalmonella-caused systemic infection
- smallpoxDeadly pustular viral infection
measles · polio · influenza · malaria · tuberculosis · yellow fever · dengue · HIV · AIDS · SARS
emergency
Serious sudden danger
- catastropheDevastating, large-scale misfortune
- overwhelmDefeat by excess
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
rationing · collapse · fatality · death toll · mass graves · panic · fear · PPE shortage · ventilator · triage
- medicinedoctor, doctors, hospital, medicine, surgery
- global healthdisease, World Health Organization, medications, vaccinations, outbreaks
- illnessdisease, sickness, illness, ailment, disorder
- catastrophesdisasters, disaster, natural disasters, catastrophe, apocalypse
- crisescrisis, emergency, disaster, natural disaster, catastrophe
- epidemicsoutbreak, disease, Black Death, cholera, virus
epidemicendemic
Native to one area
baseline · sporadic · controlled · stable · eradicated
- cholera epidemicOutbreak of severe diarrheal disease
- opioid epidemicMass addiction to painkillers
- flu epidemicWidespread viral respiratory illness
- AIDS epidemicMass spread of immunodeficiency
- obesity epidemicPopulation-wide excess body mass
- HIV epidemicMass spread of immunodeficiency virus
epidemics, epidemiology, epidemiologist, epidemiological, epidemiologists, epidemiologically