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What's the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic?

I've noticed hacks use the terms interchangeably when talking about H1N1. Could someone clearly detail the difference between the terms?

Thanks.

8 Answers

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  • Kaz
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    A Pandemic is an Epidemic of Infectious disease that spreads through populations across a large region; for instance a continent, or even worldwide.

    Source(s): Any Question Answered, Text 66000.
  • Trevor
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    An epidemic is a localised, yet still widespread outbreak, like a country. A pandemic is a worldwide outbreak of a disease. The H1N1 is a pandemic as it has been located in almost all countries now.

  • 4 years ago

    Pandemic is many times used to show a a techniques bigger sort of persons affected than a deadly disease, and an epidemic refers to a lots greater suitable region affected. the international inhabitants is troubled via an epidemic. a deadly disease is defined via an ailment or wellness-appropriate difficulty this is exhibiting up in greater situations than could be many times predicted. even with the incontrovertible fact that, contained in terms of an epidemic, much greater of the inhabitants is affected than in a deadly disease.

  • 1 decade ago

    Epidemic refers to a large number of people being infected, whereas pandemic describes a disease that is spread over a large geographical area.

    So they don't quite mean the same thing; a disease could be one or the other or both.

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    a pandemic is an epidemic. its an infectious disease that can go global, so cancer or something wouldn't be a pandemic b/c it isn't contagious. an epidemic is when a certain amount of people get a certain disease that exceeds expectations..like more people get it than expected.

  • 1 decade ago

    a pandemic is an overflow of peruvian panflute bands in one country. an epidemic is an overflow of peruviean panflute bands in a small town.

    as scary as it sounds its real.

    Source(s): i saw it on southpark this one time...
  • 1 decade ago

    when there is an outbreak in one country its an epidemic

    when there is an outbreak global then its a pandemic

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    could somebody please direct this individual to a google search engine ?

    possibly give them a link to wikipedia.org ?

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