In Epidemiology an Epidemic means:-
Epi= means ‘upon or above’ Demos= means ‘people’
Epi= means ‘upon or above’ Demos= means ‘people’
Epidemic is defined as ‘sudden and abrupt rise of new cases of a disease in a given population, in a short time, exceeding the expectation as compared to past experience during the same time period.’
Consistent and continued high incidence of a disease in given geographic area is called ‘Endemic'. Sudden rise of incidence of a disease in one or more geographic areas of a country in a fixed period is called ‘Epidemic’.When it spreads from one country to other it is called ‘Pandemic’
A lay person may not be aware of the definition of epidemic but must have experienced its effects how severe it is during epidemic of ‘Dengue’ and ‘Swine Flu’.Under the circumstances all must know how to investigate and control the epidemic.
The presentation below deals with, what are the types of epidemics, what is the importance of investigation and how to proceed step by step to investigate an Epidemic.
Next blog post: How to manage an Epidemic?
