epidemic

Term: epidemic

Literally meaning: “on people”

Origin: Anc Greek

επί-/epi-(= “upon”, “on”, “besides” “in addition”)

δήμος/demos(=people, crowd, land) >Δηώ/Dio(=the ancient Greek goddess of agriculture and harvests).

Coined/History

by Hippocrates (460 BC – ca. 370 BC)

Definition

Epidemic is an outbreak of infectious disease that is spreading through in a given human population, and during a given period of time.