Epidemiology Terms

verb to defeat or repel an enemy or opponent

adverb in a manner that defeats or repels an enemy or opponent

• The soldiers were able to beat back the enemy forces with strategic maneuvers.
• We managed to beat back the bullies by sticking together as a group.
• We totally beat back those haters with our awesome comeback.
• She had to beat back her fears in order to pursue her dreams.

noun a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body

• The patient was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
• My aunt is fighting cancer and she's so brave.
• Cancer sucks, man. It's such a terrible disease.
• Negativity is like a cancer, spreading and infecting everything around it.

noun an infectious and often fatal bacterial disease of the small intestine, typically contracted from infected water supplies

adjective related to or characteristic of cholera

• Cholera is a highly infectious bacterial disease that causes severe diarrhea and dehydration.
• I heard there was a cholera outbreak in the neighboring town.
• Stay away from that area, cholera is going around.
• The spread of misinformation can be like a cholera outbreak, causing harm and confusion.

adjective able to be communicated or transmitted from one person to another

• The health department is monitoring the spread of communicable diseases in the community.
• It's important to wash your hands regularly to prevent communicable illnesses from spreading.
• I heard that flu is going around, better watch out for communicable germs!
• Gossip can be like a communicable disease, spreading quickly and causing harm.

adjective used to express annoyance or frustration

• The scientist was confounded by the unexpected results of the experiment.
• I am completely confounded by this math problem.
• I'm so confounded by this situation, I have no idea what to do.
• Her emotions were confounded, torn between love and anger.

noun a historical term meaning to kill one in every ten of a group

verb to destroy or kill a large portion of something

• The hurricane decimated the coastal town, leaving behind widespread destruction.
• The wildfire decimated the forest, there's hardly any trees left.
• That new virus is going to decimate the population if we don't take proper precautions.
• The unexpected news decimated her hopes and dreams.

noun an infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the intestines, especially the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing blood and mucus

• Dysentery is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the intestines.
• My friend got really sick while traveling and ended up with dysentery.
• I heard that food poisoning in that restaurant was so bad, people were getting dysentery!
• The political corruption in that country is like a dysentery spreading through the government.

noun a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses

• Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a viral infection that affects the respiratory system.
• I caught the flu and had to stay in bed all weekend.
• I feel like I got hit by the flu truck.
• Her negativity spread through the office like a flu, affecting everyone's mood.

verb to contaminate with a disease-causing organism

adjective having been contaminated with a disease-causing organism

• The virus has infected a large portion of the population.
• I heard that a lot of people got infected at the party.
• Dude, you don't want to hang out with him, he's infected with drama.
• His negative attitude infected the entire team.

noun a sudden and violent inroad, especially of a hostile army into a foreign territory; a sudden incursion or invasion; as, the irruptions of the Goths into the Roman Empire

• The irruption of the virus led to a nationwide lockdown.
• The sudden irruption of guests caught me off guard.
• The party was going great until the irruption of drama.
• Her laughter was an irruption of joy in the room.

noun a highly contagious viral infection characterized by fever, cough, and a distinctive red rash

• The outbreak of measles in the community has prompted health officials to implement vaccination campaigns.
• I heard there's a measles outbreak going on in our neighborhood.
• Did you hear about that measles thing going around?
• The spread of misinformation is like a measles epidemic, infecting minds with false beliefs.

noun the condition of being diseased or unhealthy

• The study focused on the relationship between obesity and morbidity rates.
• The doctor explained that morbidity refers to the prevalence of illnesses in a population.
• Dude, the morbidity of that virus is off the charts!
• The morbidity of her negative attitude was spreading throughout the office.

noun an infectious viral disease causing swelling of the parotid glands, especially in children

• The outbreak of mumps in the school has prompted health officials to take necessary precautions.
• I heard that Sarah caught the mumps and has to stay home from school for a while.
• I can't believe I got hit with the mumps right before finals week, what bad luck!
• The spread of rumors in the office was like a case of mumps, infecting everyone with false information.

adjective causing or capable of causing disease

• The pathogenic bacteria were identified as the cause of the outbreak.
• Those germs are pathogenic and can make you sick.
• Watch out for those nasty bugs, they're pathogenic!
• His toxic behavior was like a pathogenic virus spreading negativity everywhere.

noun a deadly virus that causes inflammation of the brain in humans and other mammals

• Rabies is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain in mammals.
• If your pet gets bitten by a wild animal, you should watch out for rabies.
• I heard that stray dog has rabies, so be careful around it.
• His anger was like a rabies, spreading uncontrollably and causing chaos.

noun an infectious disease caused by bacteria transmitted by lice, fleas, or ticks

• Typhus is a bacterial infection transmitted by fleas or lice.
• My great-grandfather contracted typhus during the war.
• I feel like I've been hit by a typhus truck.
• The spread of misinformation can be compared to a typhus outbreak in the digital age.

noun the severity or harmfulness of a disease or poison

• The virulence of the virus was a cause for concern among health officials.
• The virulence of that argument was intense, it got pretty heated.
• The virulence of that gossip was off the charts, it spread like wildfire.
• The virulence of her ambition was unmatched, she would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.

noun a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, causing fever and jaundice and often fatal

• Yellow fever is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes in tropical regions.
• I heard that yellow fever is a serious disease spread by mosquitoes.
• Some people think yellow fever is just a bad flu, but it's much more dangerous.
• His obsession with vintage cars is like a case of yellow fever, he can't get enough of them.

noun the capacity of a microorganism to cause infection

adjective describing the ability of a microorganism to infect

• The infectivity of the virus is a major concern for public health officials.
• The infectivity of this flu strain is no joke, so make sure to wash your hands frequently.
• Dude, the infectivity of this thing is off the charts. Stay safe out there.
• His negativity has an infectivity that can bring down the whole team if we're not careful.

adjective relating to or occurring in the period before symptoms of a disease appear

• The presymptomatic stage of the disease can be difficult to detect.
• They didn't realize they were presymptomatic until they got tested.
• I had no idea I was presymptomatic until I started feeling sick.
• Being presymptomatic is like having a ticking time bomb inside you.

noun a medical condition that exists simultaneously with and independently of another condition in a patient

• The patient's diagnosis was complicated by the presence of comorbidity.
• The doctor said the other health issues are making things more complicated.
• Having comorbidity sucks, it's like dealing with multiple health problems at once.
• Comorbidity is like having unwanted guests at a party, they just make everything more difficult.

noun the branch of science that deals with the study of viruses and viral diseases

• The study of viruses and viral diseases falls under the field of virology.
• Virology is all about studying viruses and how they infect living organisms.
• I'm diving deep into virology to understand how these little buggers work.
• Exploring the complexities of virology is like unraveling a puzzle with countless pieces.

noun a made-up word that combines 'quarantine' and 'mates', possibly referring to people who are quarantining together as roommates or friends

• The quarantimates were established to prevent the spread of the virus among the population.
• We've been keeping track of our quarantimates to make sure we're staying safe.
• My group chat is full of memes and jokes about our quarantimates.
• The concept of social distancing has become a part of our daily lives, like our own personal quarantimates.

noun none

verb none

adjective relating to serology, the scientific study of blood serum and other bodily fluids

adverb none

pronoun none

preposition none

conjunction none

interjection none

article none

• The serological test results indicated the presence of antibodies in the patient's blood.
• The doctor said they need to do a serological test to check for any infections.
• I heard they're running some serological tests to see if he's been exposed to anything.
• The serological study of historical artifacts can reveal a lot about ancient civilizations.

noun the point on the earth's surface vertically above the focus of an earthquake

• The epicentre of the earthquake was located near the fault line.
• The epicentre of the party was definitely the dance floor.
• That new restaurant is the epicentre of all the cool kids hanging out.
• Her emotions were the epicentre of the storm brewing inside her.

noun a type of coronavirus that causes respiratory illness (COVID-19 stands for 'coronavirus disease 2019')

• The global economy has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• I heard that Sarah tested positive for COVID-19.
• I can't believe COVID-19 ruined our vacation plans.
• The spread of COVID-19 has cast a dark shadow over our daily lives.

noun a shortened form of novel coronavirus, referring to a type of virus

• The rapid spread of nCoV has raised concerns among public health officials.
• Have you heard about the latest cases of nCoV in our city?
• I'm so over this whole nCoV situation, it's ruining everything.
• The fear of nCoV is spreading faster than the virus itself.

noun A parasitic blood fluke belonging to the genus Schistosoma, specifically Schistosoma haematobium.

• Schistosoma haematobium is a parasitic flatworm that causes urinary schistosomiasis in humans.
• Did you know that Schistosoma haematobium is a type of parasite that can infect the urinary tract?
• Yo, watch out for that Schistosoma haematobium parasite, it's no joke.
• The presence of Schistosoma haematobium in the community is like a hidden danger waiting to strike.

noun a person or thing that cannot transmit something

adjective describing something that cannot be transmitted or passed on

• The information is untransmittable due to encryption.
• I can't send you the file, it's untransmittable.
• That message is like totally untransmittable, dude.
• Her emotions were untransmittable, hidden behind a stoic facade.

noun a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes that causes severe joint and muscle pain

• The medical team is closely monitoring the patient's condition as he battles bonebreak fever.
• I heard that Sarah's cousin was hospitalized with bonebreak fever.
• I feel like I've been hit with a truck, must be bonebreak fever or something.
• The intense pressure of the project deadline felt like a case of bonebreak fever.

noun a type of virus that is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito and can cause symptoms such as fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes

• The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause birth defects in newborns.
• I heard that the Zika virus is spreading rapidly in certain regions.
• Dude, you better watch out for that Zika virus when you travel to tropical areas.
• The Zika virus spread through the community like wildfire, causing widespread panic.

noun a person who does not have the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

adjective describing a person who has tested negative for the HIV virus

• After taking the HIV test, the result came back as HIV negative.
• I got tested for HIV and thankfully it came back negative.
• Dude, I was so relieved when my test results showed I was HIV negative.
• Being HIV negative is like having a weight lifted off your shoulders.

noun Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus

• The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus.
• I heard there was a new case of MERS reported in the neighboring city.
• Did you see that news about MERS? Crazy stuff.
• The spread of misinformation can be like a contagious disease, similar to how MERS spreads among populations.

noun an infectious disease that is transmitted between animals and humans

• Zoonosis is the transmission of an infectious disease from animals to humans.
• I learned about zoonosis in my biology class - it's when diseases can spread from animals to people.
• Zoonosis is like a germ party that animals invite humans to attend.
• The spread of rumors in our office is like a zoonosis, infecting everyone with gossip.

noun an acute viral infection of the nervous system that can cause paralysis, muscular atrophy, and deformity

• Poliomyelitis, also known as polio, is a highly infectious viral disease that can cause paralysis.
• My grandma told me stories about how scared everyone was of poliomyelitis when she was a kid.
• I heard that poliomyelitis used to be called 'polio' back in the day.
• The spread of misinformation can be like a silent poliomyelitis, infecting minds with false beliefs.

noun a disease spread by close contact with an infected person or object

adjective contagious

• The rapid spread of the contagion has caused widespread panic among the population.
• I heard the contagion is spreading quickly, we should be careful.
• Dude, stay away from that party, there's a serious contagion going around.
• Negative attitudes can be just as contagious as a physical contagion.

adjective pertaining to zoonosis, which is any disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans

• The spread of zoonotic diseases from animals to humans is a major concern for public health officials.
• Did you know that rabies is a zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans?
• Watch out for those zoonotic bugs, they can make you really sick!
• The zoonotic nature of gossip can spread like wildfire through a community.

noun a taxonomic group of parasitic protozoans that reproduce by forming spores

• Acnidosporidia is a class of parasitic protozoans that infect various invertebrates.
• I read an interesting article about acnidosporidia and their impact on marine life.
• Have you heard of those tiny acnidosporidia things that live in the ocean?
• The spread of rumors in the office was like a swarm of acnidosporidia infecting every conversation.

noun a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

• Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a serious condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• AIDS is a disease that weakens your immune system.
• Some people call acquired immune deficiency syndrome 'the monster'.
• Living with acquired immune deficiency syndrome can feel like battling an invisible enemy.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun

• Acute diseases are characterized by a sudden onset and short duration.
• Acute diseases hit you out of nowhere and don't last long.
• When acute diseases come knocking, it's like getting hit by a bus.
• Dealing with acute diseases is like fighting a sudden storm that passes quickly.

adjective describing something related to both summer and autumn

• The aestivo-autumnal climate transition in this region is marked by a gradual decrease in temperature and increase in rainfall.
• I love the aestivo-autumnal season because it's not too hot or too cold.
• The aestivo-autumnal vibes are perfect for cozy sweater weather and pumpkin spice lattes.
• Her painting captured the essence of the aestivo-autumnal landscape, with warm hues and fading light.

noun the investigation or attribution of the cause or reason for something, often used in medical or scientific contexts

• The study aims to investigate the aetiology of the rare genetic disorder.
• Doctors are trying to figure out the cause of the illness.
• They're trying to get to the bottom of what's causing the problem.
• The aetiology of the conflict can be traced back to unresolved issues from the past.