The Epidemic reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Epidemic

An epidemic is a widespread disease that affects many individuals in a population. An epidemic may be restricted to one locale or may even be global (pandemic).

Some examples of historical epidemics include the Black Death, or bubonic plague, of Medieval Europe, the influenza epidemic occurring about the same time as World War I, and the current AIDS epidemic.

See also : epidemiology.

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