Several key concepts are fundamental to the field of epidemiology. These include:
Incidence and Prevalence: Incidence refers to the number of new cases of a disease in a population over a specific period, while prevalence is the total number of cases, both new and existing, at a given time. Risk Factors: Factors that increase the likelihood of developing a disease or health condition. Morbidity and Mortality: Morbidity refers to the state of being diseased or unhealthy, while mortality refers to the incidence of death within a population. Outbreaks, Epidemics, and Pandemics: An outbreak is a sudden increase in cases of a disease in a specific area, an epidemic is a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time, and a pandemic is an epidemic that has spread across multiple countries or continents.
