viral outbreak
Disease rapidly multiplying
A viral outbreak is the sudden emergence and spread of a viral disease in a population, typically faster or more widespread than normal: Health officials are monitoring a viral outbreak in the region.
The term emphasizes rapid transmission—the virus spreading person to person like information going viral online.
Outbreaks may be localized or escalate into epidemics or pandemics.
- pandemicGlobal disease outbreak
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- rapid spreadFast, widespread transmission
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
- spreadTo distribute widely
patient zero · ground zero · infection · quarantine · disease · fever · hospital · hospital beds · masks · lockdown · social distancing · flatten the curve · symptoms · transmission · surge · cases · case count · pathogen
- epidemicsepidemic, pandemic, disease, Black Death, cholera
- health crisespandemic, epidemic, health emergency, public health emergency, AIDS epidemic
- Plague FictionThe Stand, World War Z, The Decameron, The Andromeda Strain, epidemic
- wildlife mortalitymortality rate, die-off, mass die-off, natural death, natural causes
- catastrophesdisasters, disaster, natural disasters, catastrophe, apocalypse
- Post-Apocalypsewasteland, fallout, survivors, apocalypse, collapse
viral outbreakdisease eradication
Permanent global elimination of pathogens
viral, outbreak, virus, viruses, virally, virology, virologist, virological, antiviral