Large legal dictionary What is Epidemic, what does it mean and how to spell it correctly. Epidemic group Soloist of the epidemic group

ἐπιδημία - general disease, from ἐπι - on, among and δῆμος - people) - the spread of an infectious disease among people progressing in time and space, significantly exceeding the incidence rate usually recorded in a given territory, and capable of becoming a source of emergency. In everyday life, the universal epidemiological threshold is considered to be the disease of 5% of the inhabitants of the territory, or sometimes 5% of any social group. However, many health departments calculate their own epidemic thresholds for common diseases based on the average level of that disease over many years. Such epidemic thresholds may be equal to, for example, 1%. Initially, the term “epidemic” meant only the spread of infectious diseases (plague, smallpox, typhoid, cholera, diphtheria, scarlet fever, measles, influenza and others). However, the term can now be used to refer to the spread of anything among people (for example, a tourism epidemic).

The branch of medicine that studies epidemics and methods of combating them is epidemiology. She studies epidemics of both infectious and non-communicable diseases.

For all infectious diseases, a certain time passes from the moment of infection to the appearance of the first visible signs of the disease, called the incubation period. The duration of this period varies for different infections - from several hours to several months.

Depending on the nature of the disease, the main mechanisms of transmission of the infectious agent during an epidemic may be:

fecal-oral (implemented through water, food or household contact) (for example, with dysentery and typhoid fever);
airborne (for example, with influenza);
transmissible (for malaria and typhus);
contact (for HIV infection, rabies).

Sometimes several mechanisms of pathogen transmission play a role. The course of the infectious disease will depend on how it entered the human body. For example, the pneumonic, intestinal and cutaneous bubonic forms of plague or anthrax are very different. Infectious factors may also be risk factors for noncommunicable diseases.

Major epidemics

Epidemics of unknown etiology

The causes of some epidemics remain unclear, for example:

Abu muk-muk - an epidemic of a disease similar to chicken pox was observed in Central Africa.
In the 16th century, a wave of epidemic disease swept across Europe, called “English sweating fever”, or “English sweat”.

	-demic	- zootia	-fitiya
En-	Endemic	Enzootic	Enfitia
Epi-	Epidemic	Epizootic	Epiphytia
Pan-	Pandemic	Panzootia	Panfitia

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Notes

Literature

A.F.,.// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

Excerpt characterizing the Epidemic

“However, it began to calm down,” said Ferapontov, drinking three cups of tea and getting up, “ours must have taken over.” They said they won't let me in. This means strength... And after all, they said, Matvey Ivanovich Platov drove them into the Marina River, drowned eighteen thousand, or something, in one day.
Alpatych collected his purchases, handed them over to the coachman who came in, and settled accounts with the owner. At the gate there was the sound of wheels, hooves and bells of a car leaving.
It was already well past noon; half the street was in the shade, the other was brightly lit by the sun. Alpatych looked out the window and went to the door. Suddenly a strange sound of a distant whistle and blow was heard, and after that there was a merging roar of cannon fire, which made the windows tremble.
Alpatych went out into the street; two people ran down the street towards the bridge. From different sides we heard whistles, impacts of cannonballs and the bursting of grenades falling in the city. But these sounds were almost inaudible and did not attract the attention of residents in comparison with the sounds of gunfire heard outside the city. It was a bombardment, which at five o'clock Napoleon ordered to open on the city, from one hundred and thirty guns. At first the people did not understand the significance of this bombing.
The sounds of falling grenades and cannonballs aroused at first only curiosity. Ferapontov’s wife, who had never stopped howling under the barn, fell silent and, with the child in her arms, went out to the gate, silently looking at the people and listening to the sounds.
The cook and the shopkeeper came out to the gate. Everyone with cheerful curiosity tried to see the shells flying over their heads. Several people came out from around the corner, talking animatedly.
- That’s power! - said one. “Both the lid and the ceiling were smashed into splinters.”
“It tore up the earth like a pig,” said another. - That’s so important, that’s how I encouraged you! – he said laughing. “Thank you, I jumped back, otherwise she would have smeared you.”
The people turned to these people. They paused and told how they got into the house near their core. Meanwhile, other shells, now with a quick, gloomy whistle - cannonballs, now with a pleasant whistling - grenades, did not stop flying over the heads of the people; but not a single shell fell close, everything was carried over. Alpatych sat down in the tent. The owner stood at the gate.
- What haven’t you seen! - he shouted at the cook, who, with her sleeves rolled up, in a red skirt, swaying with her bare elbows, came to the corner to listen to what was being said.
“What a miracle,” she said, but, hearing the owner’s voice, she returned, tugging at her tucked skirt.
Again, but very close this time, something whistled, like a bird flying from top to bottom, a fire flashed in the middle of the street, something fired and covered the street with smoke.
- Villain, why are you doing this? – the owner shouted, running up to the cook.
At the same moment, women howled pitifully from different sides, a child began to cry in fear, and people with pale faces silently crowded around the cook. From this crowd, the cook’s moans and sentences were heard most loudly:
- Oh oh oh, my darlings! My little darlings are white! Don't let me die! My white darlings!..
Five minutes later there was no one left on the street. The cook, with her thigh broken by a grenade fragment, was carried into the kitchen. Alpatych, his coachman, Ferapontov’s wife and children, and the janitor sat in the basement, listening. The roar of guns, the whistling of shells and the pitiful moan of the cook, which dominated all sounds, did not cease for a moment. The hostess either rocked and coaxed the child, or in a pitiful whisper asked everyone who entered the basement where her owner, who remained on the street, was. The shopkeeper who entered the basement told her that the owner had gone with the people to the cathedral, where they were raising the Smolensk miraculous icon.
By dusk the cannonade began to subside. Alpatych came out of the basement and stopped at the door. The previously clear evening sky was completely covered with smoke. And through this smoke the young, high-standing crescent of the month strangely shone. After the previous terrible roar of guns had ceased, there seemed silence over the city, interrupted only by the rustling of footsteps, groans, distant screams and the crackle of fires that seemed to be widespread throughout the city. The cook's moans had now died down. Black clouds of smoke from the fires rose and dispersed from both sides. On the street, not in rows, but like ants from a ruined hummock, in different uniforms and in different directions, soldiers passed and ran. In Alpatych’s eyes, several of them ran into Ferapontov’s yard. Alpatych went to the gate. Some regiment, crowded and in a hurry, blocked the street, walking back.
“They are surrendering the city, leave, leave,” the officer who noticed his figure told him and immediately shouted to the soldiers:
- I'll let you run around the yards! - he shouted.
Alpatych returned to the hut and, calling the coachman, ordered him to leave. Following Alpatych and the coachman, all of Ferapontov’s household came out. Seeing the smoke and even the fires of the fires, now visible in the beginning twilight, the women, who had been silent until then, suddenly began to cry out, looking at the fires. As if echoing them, the same cries were heard at other ends of the street. Alpatych and his coachman, with shaking hands, straightened the tangled reins and lines of the horses under the canopy.
When Alpatych was leaving the gate, he saw about ten soldiers in Ferapontov’s open shop, talking loudly, filling bags and backpacks with wheat flour and sunflowers. At the same time, Ferapontov entered the shop, returning from the street. Seeing the soldiers, he wanted to shout something, but suddenly stopped and, clutching his hair, laughed a sobbing laugh.
- Get everything, guys! Don't let the devils get you! - he shouted, grabbing the bags himself and throwing them into the street. Some soldiers, frightened, ran out, some continued to pour in. Seeing Alpatych, Ferapontov turned to him.
– I’ve made up my mind! Race! - he shouted. - Alpatych! I've decided! I'll light it myself. I decided... - Ferapontov ran into the yard.

The Epidemic group was formed in 1995 by guitarist Yuri Melisov. The first concert took place on December 20, 1995. Epidemic's style can be described as Power Metal. The theme of most of the songs is related to fantasy, the works of Tolkien and other writers of the genre. A demo was recorded in 1995, the first mini-album “Will to Life” was released in 1998. In 1999, the full-length album “On the Edge of Time” was released, containing 14 compositions, and in 2001 the album “The Mystery of the Magic Land” was released. A video was shot for one of the songs, with which the group made it to the top five MTV EMA finalists. Epidemic musicians were present in Barcelona at the presentation of this prestigious award. Also, in one of the shows on MTV, the group performed together with the legendary Alice Cooper.

In 2003, Epidemic recorded the first Russian metal opera, The Elven Manuscript. The roles of the heroes of the story were performed by vocalists of famous Russian rock bands: Arthur Berkut (Aria), Kirill Nemolyaev (Boni Nem), Lexx (Master), Dmitry Borisenkov (Black Obelisk), etc. The lead character is performed by the vocalist of Epidemic, Maxim Samosvat. The album was recorded at Moroz Records studio. “Elven Manuscript” was produced by the guitarist of the group Aria, Vladimir Kholstinin, and he also performed the mandolin part in one of the songs. On February 13, 2004, in Luzhniki, as part of the “Friday the 13th” festival, a presentation of the new album of the group “Elven Manuscript” took place, which is the first metal opera in Russia. 6,000 spectators saw a show performed by the band Epidemic, with vocalists dressed as their characters and a team of knights fighting with swords and axes. Behind the stage, landscapes from the “Elven Manuscript” alternated on a huge screen. The song “Walk Your Path” was a leader in the prestigious “Chart Dozen” on Our Radio for a month. This was followed by participation in the “Wings” and “Invasion” festivals. In 2005, in honor of its 10th anniversary, Epidemic recorded the album “Life in Twilight”, consisting of the best songs from early releases. These songs were chosen by listeners by voting on the website. A 3-hour festive concert followed at the Gorbunov House of Culture, where, in addition to the best songs, a staged version of the “Elven Manuscript” was presented. In the summer of 2006, the group performed again at the “Invasion” festival. In 2006, a DVD of the anniversary concert was released, including a production of “The Elven Manuscript,” and in 2007, Epidemic recorded a continuation of the metal opera, which was called “The Elven Manuscript: A Tale for All Time.” Arthur Berkut (Aria), Kirill Nemolyaev (Boni Nem), Dmitry Borisenkov (Black Obelisk), Mikhail Seryshev (ex-Master), “Troll” (Troll Gnet El), Andrey Lobashev (Arida Vortex, Olvi), Alexandra Komarova (Luna Aeterna), Ekaterina Belobrova (The Teachers), Evgeny Egorov (Colosseum). The main role, as in the first part, was masterfully performed by Epidemic vocalist Maxim Samosvat.
The album was released on November 12, 2007 on the CD-Maximum label.
The presentation of the new album took place at the Luzhniki International Sports Hall on December 3, 2007 to a full house. About 5,000 spectators saw a unique theatrical production of both parts of the famous metal opera. The band is working on a DVD filmed at this concert.
In the spring of 2009, the group recorded the Internet single “Twilight Angel”, and is currently preparing material for recording a new album.
Over the past 2 years, the Epidemic has visited more than 50 cities in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia and Armenia.
At the end of March 2010, the group released a new album, “The Road Home.”

An epidemic is raging in Russia. Millions of people fell victim to it. They were infected with the virus of love for power metal. It is in this musical direction that the Epidemic group works. She performs at the largest rock festivals in the country - “Invasion”, “Wings”. The first concerts took place in the 90s. The team was formed in 1993. Details of his story, right now.

History of the formation of the Epidemic group

"Epidemic"— group, which began with a meeting between Yuri Melisovich Mshetsyan and Aram Hovhannisyan. The latter is an emigrant from Armenia. In 1993 he was 35 years old. The man was playing the guitar. The Russian Yuri, who also wrote poetry, also owned electricity. He added a cheerful ending to Aram's work. The result was the song “Phoenix”. The composition was a success. They began to look for partners. They were bassist Dmitry Shcherbakov and drummer Mikhail Eltsev.

The first 4 were created songs by the group "Epidemic", although at that time the team did not yet have a name. In addition to “Phoenix,” they also recorded “New Day,” “Come Back,” and “Devils Dreams.” Afterwards, the success story was cut short for a year. Aram broke his arm. The guitarist had to provide for his family. He left the group and sold his guitar.

Yuri Melisov restored the band, inviting a new guitarist Andrey Manko. The drummer also changed. It was Andrey Laptev. The first joint song “Less Us” with the new lineup was recorded in 1995. The bassist was not found immediately. Therefore, for the first demo, Yuri recorded the bass guitar parts.

Epidemic– group, albums which are signed with a sonorous word from the same 1995. Yuri came up with the name for the ensemble in August of this year. A couple of months later, bassist Artem Smirnov was selected. From October to December he was brought up to speed, and in December the band gathered the public for a concert for the first time. But Artem Smirnov did not stay long. In 1996, he was replaced by Nikolai Turnev. The first album was recorded with him. The record was poorly mixed. There were not enough technical capabilities for high-quality recording.

By 1999, the shortcomings had been eliminated by releasing a second album. Fans rushed to the computers, hammering " download group "Epidemic"" At the same time, news sites were published that vocalist Pavel Okunev had left the band. Maxim Samosvat took his place. The third album was recorded with him in 2001.

Epidemic group listen The fans' voices were sought not only at concerts. The team became the first representative of Russian metal to attend the EMA awards ceremony. MTV producers often invited the team to various programs in their studios.

In 2004, the metal opera album became a breakthrough. Its name “Elven Manuscript” later became the name of the all-Russian rock festival. In 2005, the group collected the best songs into a new album. The list of songs was posted on the Internet. The fans decided for themselves which one song by the group "Epidemic" gets on the record. The compositions were chosen by voting. They still vote for the metal band. The ensemble is healthy, touring, creating new albums.

Members of the Epidemic group

Epidemic group 2014 year consists of 6 people. The leader of the team is still Yuri Melisov. This is a pseudonym. The musician's real name is Yuri Melisovich. There are 2 newcomers in the ensemble. Vocalist Evgeny Egorov came in 2011, and guitarist Dmitry Protsko - in 2010. Dmitry Ivanov on keyboards and backing vocals since 2005. Ilya Mamontov has been playing bass guitar since 2004. Drummer Dmitry Krivenkov has been in the group since 2003.

Discography of the group "Epidemic"

1995 is the year of the release of the debut album “Phoenix”. "Epidemic"— rock band, which included 6 tracks on the first album. One less recording was included in the mini-album “The Will to Life,” released in 1998. This is the same poor quality record.

A full-length album of 14 tracks was created in 1999. On this record group "Epidemic" video filmed, the first in its history. The album was called "On the Edge of Time".

“The Mystery of a Magic Land” is a 2001 album. Special melody, that’s what distinguished me in this work group "Epidemic". Wikipedia notices that videos were shot for the songs “I Prayed” and “Livin in Twilight.”

The next record is “Elven Manuscripts”. The metal opera was presented at the Friday the 13th rock festival. The producer of the album was the guitarist of “aria” Vladimir Kholstinin. The album was released in February, and a couple of months later the concert of the group "Epidemic", where the group performed the opera live.

“Life in Twilight” is a 2005 disc. This is a collection made up of popular compositions from past years. The opera again became a novelty - a continuation of the first creation. "Elven manuscript. A Legend for All Times” was published in 2007. The second part of the epic consists of 14 entries. In the first part there were 12 songs.

“Twilight Angel” - this is the album with which the year 2009 began group "Epidemic". Download albums is no longer the only request available. “Angel” is the band’s first single.

In 2010, the studio album “The Road Home” was released. Its musicians composed 13 songs. The record went on sale on April 1st. The remix album “Horseman from Ice” is a creation of 2011. In 2012, an audio version of the concert DVD was released. They called the new product “In the triads of ballads.”

Afterwards, the musicians again turned to metal opera. “Treasures of Enya” - this is what it offered to fans Epidemic group. Torrent offers to download an album from 2014. It is based on previously published operas.

Concert activities of the Epidemic group

Over more than a decade of existence, the band has released relatively few albums. Concert activity is what the emphasis is on group "Epidemic". Download torrent It’s not difficult for any ensemble composition, but it’s more pleasant to hear metal idols live. The team does not miss a single rock festival: - “Invasion”, “Wings”, “Maximum”, “EMMAUS”.

EPIDEMIC
a significant excess of the normal incidence of any disease or pathological condition in the population. An epidemic is also called a sharp increase in the frequency of a certain disease followed by a decrease in a relatively short period of time. For example, before the advent of the measles vaccine in 1963, measles, spreading through the population and affecting susceptible individuals, gave rise to wave-like increases in incidence. The outbreak was followed by a period with a relatively small number of cases. Diseases with this form of the epidemic process are most often infectious, i.e. transmitted from person to person or from animals to humans. In the 20th century It’s even difficult to imagine the physical and moral suffering that epidemic diseases brought to the population in the past. In medieval Europe they were the cause of death of every fourth person. Epidemics today are generally not as widespread and deadly as they were centuries ago, but they nevertheless continue to occur as a consequence of disturbances in the established balance between human populations, their conditions of existence, and the presence of infectious disease agents.
Main reasons. An epidemic occurs when a pathogen spreads through a susceptible population. The intensity of the epidemic process is influenced by many environmental factors. Susceptibility to infection is characteristic of those populations that have not acquired immunity through previous contacts with the causative agent of this disease. Immunity occurs not only as a consequence of a previous illness, but also after vaccination with drugs containing antigens of a specific pathogen. Occasionally there are examples that infection with one pathogen can protect against infection caused by another; Thus, infection with the cowpox virus protects against smallpox. Depending on how the infection spreads, susceptible populations can be protected by excluding their contact 1) with already sick individuals; 2) with pathogen vectors, such as mosquitoes, fleas or lice; 3) with objects that transmit infection, for example water, which may be contaminated with a pathogen; 4) with animals that serve as a reservoir of infection, such as rats.
Endemic diseases. If an infectious disease constantly occurs among the inhabitants of a given area, then any newly arrived susceptible settlers coming into contact with the general population will soon be infected, especially in childhood. Since at any given moment only a small part of the population is sick, there are no significant fluctuations in incidence, and its consistently stable level allows us to classify this infectious disease as endemic for the population of a certain area.
Pandemics. If the population of any part of the world is freed from contact with a given infection for a long time, the number of people susceptible to the corresponding pathogen increases significantly. Once an infection appears, it can almost simultaneously affect the population of large areas, causing mass epidemics. This spread of the disease is called a pandemic. A similar process is also possible when a susceptible population encounters a new infectious agent, as, for example, happened with the spread of the influenza virus in 1918.
MAIN EPIDEMIC DISEASES
Observing a bewildering variety of deadly fevers over the centuries, medical scientists have tried to associate typical patterns of infectious diseases with specific causes, in order to identify and classify diseases on this basis, and then develop specific methods of counteracting them. Considering the evolution of our knowledge about some of the main epidemic diseases, we can trace the formation of the modern understanding of the epidemic.
Plague. In the Middle Ages, plague epidemics were so devastating that the name of this particular disease figuratively became synonymous with all sorts of misfortunes. The successive plague pandemics of the 14th century. killed a quarter of the then population of Europe. The quarantine isolation of travelers and arriving ships was futile. It is now known that plague is a disease of wild rodents, particularly rats, which is transmitted by the flea Xenopsylla cheopis. These fleas infect people living in close proximity to infected rats, the reservoir of infection. With bubonic plague, transmission of infection from person to person begins only with the development of the highly contagious pulmonary form of the disease in the patient. At the end of the 17th century. the plague disappeared from Europe. The reasons for this are still unknown. It is assumed that with changes in living conditions in Europe, the population began to live further from reservoirs of infection. Due to the lack of wood, houses began to be built from brick and stone, which are less suitable for rats than older wooden buildings.

Cholera. In the 19th century cholera pandemics occurred in most countries of the world. In the classic study of the London doctor J. Snow, the water route of transmission of infection during the cholera epidemic of 1853-1854 was correctly identified. He compared the number of cholera cases in two neighboring areas of the city that had different water supplies, one of which was contaminated with sewage. Thirty years later, the German microbiologist R. Koch, using microscopy and bacterial cultivation methods to identify the causative agent of cholera in Egypt and India, discovered the “cholera comma,” later called Vibrio cholerae.
Typhus. The disease is associated with unsanitary living conditions, usually during war. It is also known as camp, prison or ship fever. When in 1909 the French microbiologist C. Nicole showed that typhus is transmitted from person to person by body lice, its connection with overcrowding and poverty became clear. Knowing how the infection is transmitted allows health workers to stop the spread of epidemic (lice) typhus by spraying insecticidal powder on the clothing and body of those at risk of infection.
Smallpox. Modern vaccination as a method of preventing infectious diseases was developed based on the early successes achieved by medicine in the fight against smallpox by immunizing (vaccinating) susceptible individuals. To administer the vaccine, fluid from a smallpox blister of a patient with an active infection was transferred to a scratch on the skin of the immunized person's shoulder or hand. If lucky, a mild illness occurred, leaving lifelong immunity after recovery. Sometimes immunization caused the development of a typical disease, but the number of such cases was so small that the risk of vaccination complications remained quite acceptable. Immunization began to be used in Europe in 1721, but long before that it was used in China and Persia. It was thanks to her that by 1770 smallpox ceased to occur in the wealthy sections of the population. The credit for further improvement of smallpox immunization belongs to the rural doctor from Gloucestershire (England) E. Jenner, who drew attention to the fact that people who had mild cowpox do not get smallpox, and suggested that cowpox creates immunity to human smallpox
(see also JENNER Edward). At the beginning of the 20th century. smallpox vaccine became readily available throughout the world due to its mass production and cold storage. The latest chapter in the history of smallpox was marked by a mass vaccination campaign carried out in all countries by the World Health Organization.
Yellow fever. In the 18th-19th centuries. Among the epidemic diseases of the Western Hemisphere, yellow fever occupied a prominent place in the United States, as well as in the countries of Central America and the Caribbean. Doctors, who assumed that the disease was transmitted from person to person, demanded the isolation of the sick to combat the epidemic. Those who linked the origin of the disease with atmospheric pollution insisted on sanitary measures. In the last quarter of the 19th century. yellow fever began to be associated with mosquito bites. In 1881, the Cuban doctor K. Finlay suggested that the disease was transmitted by Ades aegypti mosquitoes. Evidence of this was presented in 1900 by the yellow fever commission working in Havana, headed by W. Reed (USA). The implementation of the mosquito control program over the coming years contributed not only to a significant reduction in the incidence of disease in Havana, but also to the completion of construction of the Panama Canal, which was almost stopped due to yellow fever and malaria. In 1937, a doctor from the Republic of South Africa, M. Theiler, developed an effective vaccine against yellow fever, more than 28 million doses of which were produced by the Rockefeller Foundation from 1940 to 1947 for tropical countries.
Polio. Paralytic poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) appeared as an epidemic disease at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is amazing that in underdeveloped countries with poor, unsanitary living conditions, the incidence of polio has remained low. At the same time, in highly developed countries, on the contrary, epidemics of this disease began to occur with increasing frequency and severity. The key to understanding the epidemic process in polio was the concept of asymptomatic carriage of the pathogen. This type of latent infection occurs when a person, having become infected with the virus, acquires immunity in the absence of any symptoms of the disease. Carriers, while remaining healthy themselves, can shed the virus, infecting others. It has been found that in conditions of poverty and crowded living conditions, the likelihood of contact with the virus increases sharply, as a result of which children become infected with polio very early, but the disease manifests itself quite rarely. The epidemic process proceeds as an endemic, secretly immunizing the population, so that only isolated cases of infantile paralysis occur. In countries with a high standard of living, such as North America and Northern Europe, there was a marked rise in the incidence of paralytic polio from the 1900s to the 1950s. The polio virus was isolated by K. Landsteiner and G. Popper already in 1909, but methods for preventing the disease were found only much later. Three serotypes (i.e., types present in the blood serum) of polioviruses have been identified, and strains of each of them were found in 1951 to be able to reproduce in tissue culture. Two years later, J. Salk reported his method of inactivating the virus, which made it possible to prepare an immunogenic and safe vaccine. The long-awaited inactivated Salk vaccine became available for mass use in 1955. Polio epidemics in the United States ceased. Since 1961, a live attenuated vaccine developed by A. Seibin began to be used for mass immunization against polio.
AIDS. In 1981, when acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first described as a distinct clinical entity, its causative agent was not yet known. The new disease was initially recognized only as a syndrome, i.e. combination of characteristic pathological symptoms. Two years later, it was reported that the basis of the disease was the suppression of the body's immune system by a retrovirus, which was called the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Patients develop increased susceptibility to a variety of infectious pathogens, which manifests itself clinically only in the later stages of HIV infection, but initially the disease may remain in the incubation period for a very long time, up to 10 years.
(see also RETROVIRUSES). The first cases were homosexual men, then there were reports of transmission of the infection through transfusion of blood and its components. Subsequently, the spread of HIV infection was identified among injecting drug users and their sexual partners. In Africa and Asia, AIDS is transmitted primarily through sexual contact. Currently, the disease is spreading throughout the world, becoming an epidemic.
Ebola fever. Ebola virus as the causative agent of African hemorrhagic fever was first identified in 1976 during an epidemic in southern Sudan and the north of the Republic of Zaire. The disease is accompanied by high fever and profuse bleeding; the mortality rate in Africa exceeds 50%. The virus is transmitted from person to person through direct contact with infected blood or other body secretions. Medical personnel are often infected; household contacts contribute to the spread of infection to a lesser extent. The reservoir of the infection is still unknown, but it may be monkeys, which is why strict quarantine measures have been introduced to prevent the import of infected animals.
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Epidemiology is a scientific discipline, a profession, and a research methodology. The epidemiological approach allows us to identify the causes and determine preventive measures for any disease, regardless of whether it is epidemic in nature or not. By analyzing variations in the frequency of this disease in different population groups, it is possible to discover the factors that cause it. Therefore, the focus of epidemiology is not on the medical histories of specific patients, but on the diseases themselves or other adverse events (for example, accidents or suicides) with the characteristics that are inherent in them in certain population groups. The population groups being studied should be characterized by parameters such as observation period and habitat, age and sex composition, as well as socio-economic status. Further, within a certain population group, subgroups are distinguished that differ in the degree of contact with potentially harmful factors. This may be a specific agent, such as a virus or radiation, or general influences associated with profession or dietary habits. Epidemiology usually finds practical application in the activities of public health services, which have a sufficient level of responsibility and authority for this purpose. Epidemiological analysis and preventive measures are based on mortality and fertility statistics, as well as on morbidity statistics that are subject to mandatory registration, and on the results of special surveys.
See also VACCINATION AND IMMUNIZATION; articles about individual diseases.

Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .

Synonyms:

See what "EPIDEMIC" is in other dictionaries:

- (Greek epi among, and demos people). A widespread, contagious disease. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. EPIDEMIC is any disease that simultaneously affects many people in the same area or in... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

epidemic- and, f. Epidémie f., German. Epidemie lat. epidemia is a general disease. Wide distribution of which l. contagious disease; a rapidly spreading contagious disease. ALS 1. In Astrakhan, rotten and sultry, this epidemic will be stronger than we expect in others... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

See sea... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian Dictionaries, 1999. panzootic epidemic, pandemic, pestilence, pestilence, pestilence, death, general disease, pestilence Slo... Dictionary of synonyms

EPIDEMIC, epidemics, women. (Greek epidemia, lit. stay among the people). 1. A contagious disease that has spread widely. Typhoid epidemic. Cholera epidemic. 2. transfer used to denote something that has spread widely. Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary.... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Initially, the term “epidemic” meant only the spread of infectious diseases (plague, smallpox, typhoid, cholera, diphtheria, scarlet fever, measles, influenza and others). However, the term can now be used to refer to the spread of anything among people (for example, a tourism epidemic).