Epidemiological Terms

noun an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae, typically affecting the throat and sometimes other parts of the body

• Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that affects the mucous membranes of the throat and nose.
• I heard that diphtheria is making a comeback in some areas due to low vaccination rates.
• My grandma always tells me stories about the 'olden days' when people had to worry about diseases like diphtheria.
• The spread of misinformation on social media is like a modern-day diphtheria, infecting minds with dangerous ideas.

noun the cause or origin of a disease or condition

• The etiology of the disease is still unknown.
• We're not sure about the cause of the disease yet.
• No one really knows what's behind the disease.
• The roots of the disease remain a mystery.

noun an inflammation of the liver, caused by a virus or a toxin and characterized by jaundice, liver enlargement, and abdominal pain

• The patient was diagnosed with hepatitis and was immediately put on a treatment plan.
• My friend told me he was feeling sick, turns out he has hepatitis.
• I heard that guy got hepatitis from sharing needles.
• The spread of misinformation is like a virus, infecting minds like hepatitis.

verb to affect or contaminate with something harmful or destructive

• The virus has the potential to infect many people if not contained.
• I heard that a stomach bug is going around and it might infect us.
• Don't touch that dirty doorknob, you might infect yourself!
• Negative thoughts can infect your mind if you let them linger.

noun a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages causing fever, severe aching, and catarrh, and often occurring in epidemics

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• Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to serious complications.
• I heard that the flu season is starting soon, so we should get our influenza shots.
• I feel like I'm coming down with the flu, must be that pesky influenza going around.
• Her negativity spread through the office like a bad case of influenza.

noun a disease caused by a deficiency of niacin in the diet, characterized by skin lesions, gastrointestinal disturbances, and mental disturbances

• Pellagra is a disease caused by a deficiency of niacin in the diet.
• My great-grandmother suffered from pellagra when she was young.
• I heard that pellagra was nicknamed the 'four Ds' disease back in the day.
• Neglecting self-care is like inviting pellagra into your life.

noun a highly infectious viral disease that affects the spinal cord and can cause paralysis

• Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that can lead to paralysis.
• I heard that polio was a major concern before the development of the vaccine.
• Some people think polio is just a thing of the past.
• The spread of misinformation can be like a polio outbreak, infecting minds with harmful ideas.

noun an acute, highly contagious, and often fatal infectious disease caused by the variola virus and characterized by a high fever and a distinctive rash

• Smallpox was a highly contagious and deadly disease caused by the variola virus.
• I heard that smallpox was a really bad illness back in the day.
• Smallpox was no joke, it could really mess you up.
• The spread of rumors in our office was like a smallpox outbreak, it just wouldn't stop.

noun a type of infectious disease characterized by a fever and rash, often transmitted by ticks

• The doctor diagnosed the patient with spotted fever after observing the characteristic rash.
• I heard that Sarah was out sick with spotted fever, poor thing.
• I can't come to the party tonight, I'm feeling all feverish and spotted.
• The sudden surge in COVID-19 cases was like a spotted fever spreading through the community.

adjective bitterly hostile

• The virulent strain of the virus spread rapidly throughout the community.
• That flu is really virulent, so make sure to wash your hands frequently.
• I heard that new flu strain is super virulent, so be careful out there.
• The virulent rumors about her spread like wildfire, causing unnecessary drama.

adjective describing the branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases in a population

• The epidemiological study focused on tracking the spread of the disease within the population.
• The researchers are looking at the epidemiological data to see how the virus is spreading.
• I heard there's some new epidemiological research coming out about the outbreak.
• The epidemiological approach to analyzing social trends can provide valuable insights.

noun Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a type of lung disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the airways.

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that makes it hard to breathe.
• My grandpa has COPD from smoking for so many years.
• COPD is like having a permanent smoker's cough.
• Living with COPD feels like trying to breathe through a straw.

noun a type of virus that causes gastroenteritis in infants and young children

• Rotavirus is a common cause of severe diarrhea in young children.
• My baby had rotavirus last month and it was not fun at all.
• Ugh, rotavirus is going around the daycare again.
• The spread of negativity in the office was like a rotavirus infecting everyone's mood.

noun SARS-CoV-2

• The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a global pandemic.
• Have you heard about the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 going around?
• I heard that SARS-CoV-2 is no joke, so make sure to stay safe!
• The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on our daily lives is like nothing we've ever experienced before.

noun Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus that infects T-cells and can lead to various diseases.

adjective HTLV-1 is used as an adjective to describe the specific type of virus.

• HTLV-1 is a retrovirus that can cause a type of leukemia known as adult T-cell leukemia.
• Have you heard of HTLV-1? It's a virus that can lead to a type of cancer called adult T-cell leukemia.
• HTLV-1 is no joke, it can mess with your immune system and cause some serious health problems.
• HTLV-1 is like a silent intruder in the body, slowly causing damage without being noticed until it's too late.

noun abbreviation for 'mainstream media', referring to large, established news organizations that are considered to represent the dominant views in society

• MSM stands for men who have sex with men, a term commonly used in public health research.
• MSM is often used as an abbreviation for men who are attracted to other men.
• Some people refer to MSM as 'dudes who like dudes'.
• In the world of online dating, MSM is a common category for men seeking relationships with other men.

noun a medical condition characterized by an abnormally small head in relation to the rest of the body, typically due to abnormal brain development

adjective microcephalic (relating to or affected by microcephaly)

• Microcephaly is a medical condition characterized by an abnormally small head size in infants.
• Did you know that microcephaly can result in developmental delays?
• Having a small head due to microcephaly must be tough.
• The project's budget was so small, it was like suffering from financial microcephaly.

noun Human T-cell lymphotropic virus

• HTLV is a retrovirus that can lead to serious health conditions.
• I heard that HTLV is a virus that can cause some really bad stuff.
• HTLV is no joke, it can mess you up big time.
• HTLV is like a silent predator, waiting to strike when you least expect it.

noun a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that weakens the immune system and makes the body more susceptible to infections and certain cancers

• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a serious condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• AIDS is a disease caused by HIV.
• AIDS is no joke, man.
• AIDS can be like a silent predator, slowly weakening the body's immune system.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun

• Acute flaccid myelitis is a rare but serious neurological condition that affects the spinal cord.
• I heard about this kid who got acute flaccid myelitis, it's really scary stuff.
• My friend's cousin got hit with acute flaccid myelitis, it's no joke.
• Dealing with that project was like trying to navigate through a maze of acute flaccid myelitis.

noun a viral disease affecting cattle and other animals, transmitted by ticks and causing fever and weakness

• African coast fever is a tick-borne disease that affects cattle in certain regions.
• My uncle's cows got African coast fever and he had to call the vet for treatment.
• I heard that African coast fever is spreading among the livestock in that area.
• The spread of misinformation is like African coast fever, infecting minds with false beliefs.