2,500-year Evolution of the Term Epidemic

Abstract

The meaning has been evolving since Hippocrates first used this word 25 centuries ago.

Is there a crack epidemic among students in Brazil?: comments on media and public health issues

“…Nevertheless, based onthe epidemiological data analyzed by this study and given the CDC definition presented above 18 , the crack situation in Brazil does not fit the concept of epidemic. Lifetime crack use did not increase in the two surveys analyzed, supporting the hypothesis that the crack epidemic does not exist.…”

What is an Epidemic?: Currents in Contemporary Bioethics

“…6 In some cases, the primary definition is confined to infectious disease, but the secondary one covers all unexpected adverse events that affect a population. For example, the Oxford Dictionary Online includes as a secondary definition: "a sudden, widespread occurrence of a particular undesirable phenomenon" and lists "an epidemic of violence" as an example of this sense of the term.…”

Outcome of focused training on tuberculosis and air-borne infection control for third-year undergraduate medical students

“…1 Most of the microorganisms released from infectious patients can disperse in a wide geographical area by air currents and finally can be inhaled by susceptible individuals who have had no direct contact with the primary source. 2 This airborne transmission becomes even more prevalent in healthcare settings because of overburdened hospitals and the presence of immuno-suppressed patients.…”