What's that Demic?

What is the difference in endemic, epidemic, and pandemic.


Endemic describes something belonging exclusively or confined to a particular place.

An epidemic is usually used in relation to a disease, and means affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent.
A pandemic is also usually related to a disease; one which is prevalent throughout an entire country,

continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area.

When anything breaks in the healthcare area, the media seem to jump in with both feet to warn, inform, and advise. Take the Swine Flu, for example. It was no more dangerous than the regular flu, but it seemed that it was stronger, more deadly and more prevalent, much in thanks to the media. It was, by definition, as epidemic, but it would appear that so is ignorance. :)