spillover event
Pathogen crosses species
A spillover event is when a pathogen jumps from one species to another—typically from animals to humans.
The term appears frequently in epidemiology and discussions of emerging infectious diseases: COVID-19 likely originated from a spillover event at a wet market.
Such events can spark epidemics or pandemics when humans lack immunity to the new pathogen.
- zoonosisAnimal-to-human disease transmission
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- transmissionSending of information
- pandemicGlobal disease outbreak
- jumpPropel oneself airborne
crossing · reservoir · host species · bat · virus · emergence · disease outbreak · host · contagion · wildlife · mutation · patient zero · wet market · close contact · epidemic · infection · bridge · leap