pandemic strain
Worldwide disease version
A pandemic strain is a variant of a pathogen—typically influenza or another virus—capable of spreading globally and causing widespread illness.
The term distinguishes variants with pandemic potential from those causing only localized outbreaks: Health officials monitor for emerging pandemic strains.
A strain becomes pandemic when it spreads easily between humans, affects populations with little existing immunity, and crosses international borders.
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- mutationPermanent DNA alteration
- variantDiffering form of something
spread · contact tracing · quarantine · lockdown · social distancing · isolation · fever · infection · exhaustion · stress · fatigue · mental health · overwhelm · hospital · mask · vaccine · health care · surge