epidemic


Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

epidemic

 [ep″ĭ-dem´ik]
occuring suddenly in numbers clearly in excess of normal expectancy, in contrast to endemic or sporadic. The term is used especially of infectious diseases but is also applied to any disease, injury, or other health-related event occurring in such outbreaks.
epidemic hemorrhagic fever an acute infectious disease thought to be transmitted to humans by mites or chiggers; characteristics include fever, purpura, peripheral vascular collapse, and acute renal failure.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

ep·i·dem·ic

(ep'i-dem'ik),
The occurrence in a community or region of cases of an illness, specific health-related behavior, or other health-related events clearly in excess of normal expectancy; the word is also used to describe outbreaks of disease in animals or plants. Compare: endemic, sporadic.
[epi- + G. dēmos, the people]
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

epidemic

(ĕp′ĭ-dĕm′ĭk) also

epidemical

(-ĭ-kəl)
adj.
1. Spreading rapidly and extensively by infection and affecting many individuals in an area or a population at the same time: an epidemic outbreak of influenza.
2. Widely prevalent: epidemic discontent.
n.
1. An outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely.
2. A rapid spread, growth, or development: an unemployment epidemic.
ep′i·dem′i·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

epidemic

adjective Referring to an epidemic noun The occurrence of more cases of a disease or illness than expected in a given community or region or among a specific group of people over a particular period of time; a wave of infections in a region by an organism with a short generation time; epidemics are usually heralded by an exponential rise in number of cases in time and a decline as susceptible persons are exhausted. See Hidden epidemic, Media epidemic, Pseudoepidemic, Tobacco epidemic. Cf Endemic, Pandemic.
McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

ep·i·dem·ic

(ep'i-dem'ik)
The occurrence in a community or region of cases of an illness, specific health-related behavior, or other health-related events clearly in excess of normal expectancy.
Compare: endemic, sporadic
[epi- + G. dēmos, the people]
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

epidemic

The occurrence of a large number of cases of a particular disease in a given population within a period of a few weeks. Epidemics occur when a population contains many susceptible people. This is why epidemics often occur at intervals of several years.
Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005

epidemic

the occurrence of many cases of a disease within an area.
Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005

Epidemic

A situation where a large number of infections by a particular agent, such as a virus, develops in a short time. The agent is rapidly transmitted to many individuals.
Mentioned in: Hepatitis A, Influenza, Plague, Relapsing Fever, Smallpox, Typhus
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

ep·i·dem·ic

(ep'i-dem'ik)
Occurrence in a community or region of cases of an illness, specific health-related behavior, or other health-related events clearly in excess of normal expectancy.
[epi- + G. dēmos, the people]
Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012
Mentioned in ?
References in periodicals archive ?
Like the spruce bark beetle, the mountain pine beetle is also indigenous to North America, global warming plays a hand in its infestation, and dead trees left after epidemics are a source of fuel that may cause wildfires unless removed.
Battling the Bark Beetle
Outside of an epidemic, these tests would probably have a positive predictive value of about 30% and a negative predictive value of 90% or greater.
Rapid flu test's clinical utility questioned. (More Useful During Epidemic)
This serotype was first detected in association with a 1994 dengue/DHF epidemic in Nicaragua.
CDC dengue fever home page
However, the "sistas" decided not to wait and let AIDS become an epidemic among them and decided to educate themselves about HIV.
How African-American gay activists in the rural south found community support
Type A is the most common and usually causes the most serious epidemics. Type B outbreaks also can cause epidemics, but the disease it produces generally is milder than that caused by type A.
FACT SHEET
Indeed, even when the NLGTF's own 1993 survey reflected a 14 percent decrease in hate crimes against gays and lesbians from previous surveys in six major cities, a spokesperson announced, "All the anecdotal evidence tells us this is still an out-of-control problem." Using the survey as her supporting evidence, an NLGTF representative told a congressional committee that "anti-gay violence clearly remains at epidemic proportions." Another NLGTF spokesperson characterized the study as proving that the gay community was "under siege - fighting an epidemic of violence."
The "hate state" myth
"In connection with today's full NDRRMC council meeting, I, as the chairman of the NDRRMC, issued a memorandum circular subject, enjoining all member agencies to support the nationwide dengue epidemic response.
DOH declares national dengue epidemic
The highly-populated city, however, was not among those that exceeded their epidemic thresholds.
DOH wants dengue outbreak declared in 9 Central Visayas towns, cities
The meningitis epidemic began in the capital Sana'a as the health system, which suffers from a lack of medicine and potential, is depleted, Yemen Press reported.
Meningitis Epidemic Erupts among War-Affected Yemenis

Medical browser ?
Full browser ?