Which one of the following is not an epidemic disease?

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Cholera

Malaria

Smallpox

Elephantiasis

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This question was previously asked in

UPSC CDS-1 – 2020

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Elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis) is typically classified as a chronic disease, often endemic in certain regions, caused by parasitic worms. While local outbreaks can occur, it is not usually referred to as an ‘epidemic’ in the same sense as diseases like cholera, malaria, or smallpox, which can spread rapidly through a population in a short period. Cholera, malaria, and smallpox (historically, before eradication) are well-known examples of epidemic or pandemic diseases characterized by rapid spread and increased incidence.

– Epidemic diseases are characterized by a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease in a specific population or region.
– Cholera, malaria, and smallpox fit the description of diseases that can occur in epidemics.
– Elephantiasis is a chronic parasitic infection leading to swelling, which is usually endemic rather than primarily epidemic.

An endemic disease is one that is constantly present in a population, while an epidemic involves a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time. A pandemic is an epidemic that has spread across a large region, multiple continents or worldwide. Elephantiasis, caused by filarial worms transmitted by mosquitoes, results in long-term disability and is primarily a public health problem in tropical and subtropical regions where the parasites are endemic.

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