Is "outbreak" the same as "infectious disease epidemic" IDO_0000502

[ddooley]

If so, could it be added as a synonym for that term.

And if not, could you add the term "outbreak"? It seems it might have a more localized sense. I could try to fashion a definition.

Thanks!

[lgcowell]

good question. I think of an outbreak as being smaller, so one possibility is to keep our epidemic definition: A process of infectious disease realizations and for which there is a statistically significant increase in the infectious disease incidence of a population. and have the following for outbreak: A process of infectious disease realizations and for which there is an increase in the infectious disease incidence of a local population. Thoughts?

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[ddooley]

I'm looking at how concept of "local" is handled:

CDC: "Occasionally, the amount of disease in a community rises above the expected level. Epidemic refers to an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in that area. Outbreak carries the same definition of epidemic, but is often used for a more limited geographic area. Cluster refers to an aggregation of cases grouped in place and time that are suspected to be greater than the number expected, even though the expected number may not be known."

Wikipedia: "In epidemiology, an outbreak is a sudden increase in occurrences of a disease in a particular time and place. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire continent. Four linked cases of a rare infectious disease may be sufficient to constitute an outbreak."

I actually like the Wikipedia one more as it allows for the network transport concept (trains, planes and automobiles), and a broad definition of place, whereas "local" doesn't.

One other factor is that epidemiologists can declare an outbreak with as little as 1 or two cases. With one case, is that even considered statistical data? By referencing a count of cases, it may not be.

Might want "infectious disease cluster" too, as a precursor to epidemic.