what is the difference between an empidemic and a "pandemic"?

Question

what is the difference between an empidemic and a "pandemic"?

Answer 1

Its actually the same. Pan in Latin means all. Pandemic may be attributed for larger areas, usually crossing internation boundaries. So a larger epidemic becomes a pandemic.



"Pandemic - an epidemic occurring over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people. A global epidemic."



"Epidemic - any unusual occurrence of disease, generally first noticed by an unexpected number of cases occurring over a particular amount of time or in a particular place. An outbreak of disease or injury in a defined geographic area over a specific amount of time."

Answer 2

It is like the difference between large and huge. An epidemic affects many individuals within a certain group; a pandemic effects a larger population within a wider area. A large Flu outbreak within California would be epidemic; a world-wide outbreak would be pandemic.

Answer 3

An epidemic affects a lot of people in one place and a pandemic afects even more people and in several places. Epidemic cames from the greek "at home or at your palce" and pandemic from "all the coutries or places".