Question

Choose the correct statements concerning the characteristics that define an epidemic.

1. An epidemic requires the disease to be entirely new to the affected region, never having occurred there before.
2. It involves an unusual increase in the number of cases, exceeding what is typically expected for a given time period or geographical area.
3. An epidemic always spreads globally, irrespective of initial localized increases.
4. The identification of an epidemic often relies on epidemiological surveillance data indicating a deviation from baseline disease activity.

• A. 2
• B. 2, 3
• C. 3 മാത്രം
• D. 2, 4

Answer 1

Answer:

D. 2, 4

• The defining characteristic of an epidemic is the 'unusual increase' in cases, meaning the number of affected individuals is significantly higher than the typical or expected level for that specific disease in that area during that time. This increase doesn't necessarily mean the disease is new to the region; it can be an existing disease experiencing an unexpected surge. Public health agencies rely on robust surveillance systems to monitor disease trends and detect these unusual increases, enabling them to declare an epidemic and initiate control measures. If an epidemic spreads across multiple continents or globally, it is then reclassified as a pandemic, indicating an even broader scale of impact.