Which statement correctly identifies the meaning of the terms?

• A. Epidemic — a global outbreak
• B. Pandemic — a global outbreak
• C. Endemic — constant presence in a population
• D. Morbidity — a measure of time to recovery

Answer: (B)

Pandemic means a disease outbreak that has spread across multiple countries or continents, becoming a global issue. This captures the geographic scale that sets pandemics apart from more localized outbreaks. An epidemic refers to a surge in cases in a particular area or community, not necessarily worldwide, while endemic describes a disease that is consistently present at a baseline level within a population. Morbidity describes the burden of illness in a population and can be measured by incidence or prevalence; it is not a measure of time to recovery. So the statement that a pandemic is a global outbreak best describes the term.