![]() Petersburg before quickly making its way through Europe and the rest of the world, despite the fact that air travel didn't exist yet, leaving 1 million people dead in its wake. In the span of months, influenza traveled around the globe, with the earliest cases reported in Russia. The virus spread rapidly throughout St. The Flu Pandemic (1889-1890): New transportation routes made possible in the Industrial Age made it easier for influenza viruses to spread widely in the U.S. Some estimates suggest that 90 percent of the indigenous population in the Western Hemisphere was killed off as a result. This Bubonic Plague lasted for about four years.Īmerican Plagues (16th Century): A cluster of Eurasian diseases brought to the Americas by European explorers, smallpox was one of the chief illnesses of the American Plagues, which contributed to the collapse of the Inca and Aztec civilizations. According to scientists, the outbreak was caused by a bacteria called Yersinia pestis. The Black Death (1346 - 1353): The Black Death caused an estimated death of 25 million people across the world in the 14th century. Here are just a few examples of past pandemics that have shaped the evolution of outbreaks and human immunity: The current COVID-19 outbreak is not the only disease to have impacted the world on a global scale. The field of epidemiology works to trace these unidentified outbreaks to the source in an effort to protect public health and safety. Unknown ionizing radiation over-exposure.These kinds of diseases could be caused by a variety of factors, including: A number of environmental factors such as water supply, food, air quality, and sanitation facilities can catalyze the spread of infectious diseases.ĭisease origins can also be unknown.The social aftermath of disasters such as storms, earthquakes, and droughts can lead to high disease transmission.For example, Minamata is a disease contracted after exposure to mercury. Exposure to chemicals or radioactive materials.For example, whooping cough occurs in spring, whereas measles tend to appear in the winter season. Contraction can occur as a result of transmission from people, animals, or even the environment. Several factors contribute to the outbreak of infectious diseases. While an epidemic is large, it is also generally contained or expected in its spread, while a pandemic is international and out of control. ![]() It's important to note that a once-declared epidemic can progress into pandemic status. This wide geographical reach is what makes pandemics lead to large-scale social disruption, economic loss, and general hardship. Thus, the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic isn't in the severity of the disease, but the degree to which it has spread.Ī pandemic cuts across international boundaries, as opposed to regional epidemics. The WHO defines pandemics, epidemics, and endemic diseases based on a disease's rate of spread. What are the Differences Between Pandemics and Epidemics? Malaria, for example, is considered endemic in certain countries and regions. This makes the disease spread and rates predictable. What does Endemic mean?Ī disease outbreak is endemic when it is consistently present but limited to a particular region. It means a virus covers a wide area, affecting several countries and populations. In being declared a pandemic, the virus has nothing to do with virology, population immunity, or disease severity. This means the growth rate skyrockets, and each day cases grow more than the day prior. The World Health Organization (WHO) declares a pandemic when a disease’s growth is exponential. Epidemics can refer to a disease or other specific health-related behavior (e.g., smoking) with rates that are clearly above the expected occurrence in a community or region. West Nile fever and the rapid increase in obesity rates are also considered epidemics. An epidemic disease doesn't necessarily have to be contagious. Yellow fever, smallpox, measles, and polio are prime examples of epidemics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes an epidemic as an unexpected increase in the number of disease cases in a specific geographical area. This article will uncover the factors that make a pandemic and how it differs from epidemics and when a disease is endemic. Since the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020, the public has been bombarded with new language to understand the virus and the subsequent global public health response. The novel coronavirus pandemic is the perfect model for understanding what exactly a pandemic is and how it impacts life on a global scale.
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