Temporal patterns in epidemiology can be broadly classified into several types:
Endemic patterns: Diseases that are consistently present in a population. Epidemic patterns: A sudden increase in the number of cases above what is normally expected. Pandemic patterns: Epidemics that spread across multiple countries or continents. Seasonal patterns: Diseases that show variation depending on the time of year. Cyclic patterns: Regular increases and decreases in the number of cases over a period. Secular trends: Long-term changes in disease incidence over years or decades.
