point epidemic

point ep·i·dem·ic

an epidemic where a pronounced clustering of cases of disease occurs within a very short period of time (within a few days or even hours) due to exposure of persons or animals to a common source of infection such as food or water.

point ep·i·dem·ic

(poynt ep'i-dem'ik)

An epidemic in which a pronounced clustering of cases of disease occurs within a short time (i.e., within a few days or even hours) due to exposure of persons or animals to a common source of infection such as food or water.

epidemic

a level of disease occurrence in an animal population which is significantly greater than usual; only occasionally present in the population, widely diffused and rapidly spreading. The disease is clustered in space and time. The word has common usage in veterinary science in preference to the more accurate, epizootic.

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common source epidemic

see point epidemic (below).

epidemic curve

see epidemic curve.

epidemic diarrhea of infant mice

see murine epizootic diarrhea.

epidemic hyperthermia

poisoning by Neotyphodium (Acremonium) coenophialum; called also fescue summer toxicosis.

multiple event epidemic

when the epidemic begins at about the same time in a number of places, e.g. when a poisoned batch of feed is supplied to a number of farms.

point epidemic

when the epidemic begins at one central point, with a large number of animals coming in contact with the source over a short time; a very rapid form of spread with a number of cases presenting with the same stage of the disease at the one time, indicating the single source of the pathogen.

propagated epidemic, propagative epidemic, propagating epidemic

outbreaks in which the disease propagates in one or more initial cases and then spreads to others, a relatively slow method of spread.

epidemic tremor

see avian encephalomyelitis.

epidemic typhus

see rickettsiaprowazeki.