When there is a disease outbreak, it is important to understand if it is a contained issue or if it has become an epidemic or pandemic. There may be an outbreak that reaches an epidemic or pandemic status after years of increased transmission, such as HIV. There are three terms that you may hear frequently in public health: Endemic, Epidemic, and Pandemic.
For this discussion, we will discuss epidemics and pandemics but all are defined below (CDC, 2018):
Endemic: the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area.
Epidemic: an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in that area.
Pandemic: an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people.
Please complete the following:
Compile a list of 10 communicable diseases you feel have Pandemic and Epidemic potential and which quarantine methods are recommended control measures.
Select one disease and explain why this disease has epidemic or pandemic potential and why quarantine methods would be successful.
