![]() Intermittent or continuous common source.Pandemic refers to an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people. Cluster refers to an aggregation of cases grouped in place and time that are suspected to be greater than the number expected, even though the expected number may not be known. Outbreak carries the same definition of epidemic, but is often used for a more limited geographic area. Epidemic refers to an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in that area. Occasionally, the amount of disease in a community rises above the expected level. Hyperendemic refers to persistent, high levels of disease occurrence. Endemic refers to the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area. Sporadic refers to a disease that occurs infrequently and irregularly. While some diseases are so rare in a given population that a single case warrants an epidemiologic investigation (e.g., rabies, plague, polio), other diseases occur more commonly so that only deviations from the norm warrant investigation. Thus, the baseline level is often regarded as the expected level of the disease. In the absence of intervention and assuming that the level is not high enough to deplete the pool of susceptible persons, the disease may continue to occur at this level indefinitely. This level is not necessarily the desired level, which may in fact be zero, but rather is the observed level. The amount of a particular disease that is usually present in a community is referred to as the baseline or endemic level of the disease. Section 11: Epidemic Disease Occurrence Level of disease ![]()
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