ZoonosisA zoonosis (; pl.: zoonoses) or zoonotic disease is an infectious disease of humans caused by a pathogen (an infectious agent, such as a virus, bacterium, parasite, fungus or prion) which is transmitted from a non-human animal to a human. When humans infect non-humans, it is called reverse zoonosis or anthroponosis. Major modern diseases such as Ebola and salmonellosis are zoonoses.
EpidemicAn epidemic (from Greek ἐπί epi "upon or above" and δῆμος demos "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of hosts in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infections, an attack rate in excess of 15 cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks is considered an epidemic.
Public healthPromoting health through informed choicesVarious aspects of public health: From top to bottom: Community health worker in Mali, vaccination example (COVID-19 vaccination in Germany), historical sewer installation photo from the United States, anti-smoking campaign in India.Public health is "the science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals".
Global healthGlobal health is the health of populations in a worldwide context; it has been defined as "the area of study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide". Problems that transcend national borders or have a global political and economic impact are often emphasized.
PandemicWidespread, often global, epidemic of severe infectious diseaseEarly in the COVID-19 pandemic, convention centers (pictured here) were deemed to be ideal sites for temporary hospitals, due to their existing infrastructure (electrical, water, sewage).
PathogenIn biology, a pathogen (from Greekπάθος (pathos)'suffering, passion' and -γενής (-genēs)'producer of'), in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism, agent or micro-organism that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ.
VirusInfectious agent that replicates in cellsA virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth and are the most numerous type of biological entity.
Novel coronavirusNovel coronavirus (nCoV) is a provisional name given to coronaviruses of medical significance before a permanent name is decided upon. Although coronaviruses are endemic in humans and infections normally mild, such as the common cold (caused by human coronaviruses in ~15% of cases), cross-species transmission has produced some unusually virulent strains which can cause viralpneumonia and in serious cases even acute respiratory distress syndrome and death.VirulenceVirulence is a pathogen's or microorganism's ability to cause damage to a host. In most cases, especially in animal systems, virulence refers to the degree of damage caused by a microbe to its host. The pathogenicity of an organism—its ability to cause disease—is determined by its virulence factors. In the specific context of gene for gene systems, often in plants, virulence refers to a pathogen's ability to infect a resistant host.
Biodiversity lossExtinction of species or loss of species in a given habitatSummary of major environmental-change categories that cause biodiversity loss. The data is expressed as a percentage of human-driven change (in red) relative to baseline (blue), as of 2021.
MicroorganismMicroscopic living organismA cluster of Escherichia coli bacteria magnified 10,000 timesA microorganism, or microbe, is an organism of microscopic size, which may exist in its single-celled form or as a colony of cells. The possible existence of unseen microbial life was suspected from antiquity, with an early attestation in Jain literature authored in 6th-century BC India.
EconomyAn economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the production, use, and management of resources.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.