Diseases & Epidemics

 

Diseases & EpidemicsBooks 

 

  Articles        

Definitions     

A definition of disease:  Disease: Illness or sickness characterized by specific signs
and symptoms.    

Difference between Illness and Disease:  Disease is something that needs to be cured.
Illness is something that needs to be managed. 

The difference between an epidemic, a pandemic, an endemic and an outbreak?       

  • An EPIDEMIC is a disease that affects a large number of people within a community,
    population, or region.
  • A PANDEMIC is an epidemic that’s spread over multiple countries or continents.
  • ENDEMIC is something that belongs to a particular people or country.
  • An OUTBREAK is a greater-than-anticipated increase in the number of endemic cases. 
    It can also be a single case in a new area.  If it’s not quickly controlled, an outbreak can
    become an epidemic.     

Additional information  about the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic.

Examples of Epidemics,, Pandemics, Common Diseases and Communicable
vs. Non-Communicable Diseases     

  • Examples of Epidemics and Pandemics:  
    Cholera, Scarlet Fever, Typhoid Mary, 1918 H1N1, Diphtheria, Polio,
    H2N2, Measles, Crypto, 2009 H1N1, Whooping cough, HIV, COVID-19    
  • Examples of Common Illnesses:     
    Allergies, colds and flu, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, headaches, mononucleosis, stomach aches     
  • Examples of Common Diseases:    
    Heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Diabetes    
  • Communicable vs. Non-Communicable Diseases    
    Communicable diseases comprise infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and measles, 
    while non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are mostly chronic diseases such as
    cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and diabetes.

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